Ladder of Words was developed to bridge the language gaps of low-income children and promote social mobility. The program is operated in daycare centers by a team of speech therapists and includes two components:
Ladder of Words was developed to bridge the language gaps of low-income children and promote social mobility. The program is operated in daycare centers by a team of speech therapists and includes two components:
Ladder of Words sends a team of speech therapists into daycare centers for a professionally led, year-long, weekly language development program. The team works with all children in small, level-based groups and with a tailored curriculum based on screenings conducted at the beginning of the year. Each session includes a book reading and a language enrichment play-based activity. Each book is taught for 3-4 weeks, where each week focuses on a different linguistic purpose. Additional tests help the team ensure that all kids reach their language goals.
Daycare staff receive bi-weekly training from the Ladder of Words team and utilize skills modeled by the team on their daily work with the children.
