Meaningful Differences

Written by Dr. Jerry Stein

Betty Hart and Todd Risley studied the usage of language and words in American homes. Their findings establish the absolute importance of children’s early experiences with language.

By 48 months children in professional homes have heard on average 45 million words. In the same period of time, children in welfare homes have heard on average 13 million words. This language and vocabulary disparity has been referred to as “the 32 million word catastrophe.”

Not surprisingly, this disparity in exposure to language translates into a vocabulary disparity. Cumulative vocabulary at 36 months averages 1,150 for professional homes compared to 500 in welfare homes. If this vocabulary disparity was easily mitigated by intervention, such as schooling, or tutoring this issue would not be of such great concern. However, Hart & Risley found that this discrepancy established into the future “children’s developmental trajectories of vocabulary” meaning that the vocabulary gap between children from professional homes and those from welfare homes would continue to remain wide in spite of school.

In simple terms, kids start kindergarten at vastly different language levels and contrary to much school reform literature nothing school does seems to be able to bridge the gaps.

Hart and Risley were initially optimistic that these differences could be overcome, but were forced to conclude that “the problem of skill differences among children at the time of school entry is bigger, more intractable, and more important than we had thought” (“p. 6”). A more powerful demonstration of the primacy of learning outside of school would be difficult to find.

Another key implication of the study is that language use in a literate culture that is based in writing does not replace oral culture but requires its presence to build on. That is, the speaking, talking, reading out loud, and widespread use of oral culture in the home is the bedrock foundation and prerequisite for the development of a modern literate culture.

References:

Hart and Risley (1995) Meaningful Differences

Hart and Risley (2003) The Early Catastrophe. American Educator.