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, and we know we can't do that. He and Hart recommend programs where children gain experience with adults who talk with them a lot and treat them courteously. 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. Risley is a adjunct professor of human development and family life at KU and is professor of psychology at the University of Alaska, Anchorage, where he lives.