About Us
Talk from the Start is a campaign created by the Mississippi Children’s Museum, funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. It was formed to raise awareness that talking to and with children from birth is essential to learning and literacy.
An abundance of research has shown that talking to children from birth, and even when they’re in the womb, is crucial to their development. Specifically, talking with children from birth to age five increases language, literacy, and early childhood development, because language and literacy development start from the very beginning. Even before they’re born, babies listen to people communicate and recognize voices. And from birth, babies communicate with us before they can talk, through eye contact, facial expressions, crying, smiling, cooing, and touching.
Language is learned at a very early age when children listen to others speak and then practice what they hear. This give and take is fundamental to early literacy development and, specifically, learning to read. More children in Mississippi need to receive this oral stimulation early. Talk from the Start is a statewide campaign to raise awareness and boost early language development in our youngest Mississippians.
When adults purposefully talk to children, children develop larger vocabularies.
Quality interaction between caregivers and child – talking, playing, reading, and singing – sets your child up for reading success.
Young children need to hear about 21,000 words per day for optimal language and reading development.