Children who do not receive the 25 to 30-million-word standard by their third birthday have a 60% chance to drop out of high school AND a 60% chance to end up in the penal system. Worse yet, after age 3, the child can no longer catch up.
This new knowledge creates a policy imperative. The idea that a baby’s ability to succeed in school and in the workplace is largely determined by the third birthday is breathtaking. In America, not reading to, singing to or speaking to babies in low income communities is the major cause of generational poverty. Around the world, knowledge of 0 to 3 in developing nations is a game changer.