She and Risley believe their study demonstrates a need to focus on parenting. You need to think about how people get experience being parents. That's what we thought we could do in the War on Poverty. He and Hart recommend programs where children gain experience with adults who talk with them a lot and deal with them with courtesy. They also recommend programs that give parents guidance.
All words are new to a baby.
Federal grants enabled Hart and Risley to observe the 42 families in the Kansas City area, many of whom keep in touch with the researchers. The families allowed researchers in their home for an hour a month to record a slice of daily life. Observers recorded all language and interaction between parent and child in each session for more than two years. This site is maintained by University Relations, the public relations office for the University of Kansas Lawrence campus. Copyright 1996, the University of Kansas Office of University Relations.