Coach Binder - LENA Foundation€¦ · Coach Binder i 1. Talk about what you’re doing and...

CoachBinder

Talk builds babies’ brains!

GrowGrow

Coach Binder

Talk builds babies’ brains!

Copyright © 2019 by LENA. All rights reserved. v. 20191210

This binder belongs to:

GrowGrow

Coach Binder i

1. Talk about what you’re doing and thinking.

2. Comment on what they’re doing or looking at.

3. Name things that they’re interested in.

4. Get down to their level: face to face.

5. Touch, hug, hold.

6. Tune in and respond to what they look at, do, and say.

7. Wait for their response.

8. Imitate them, and add words.

9. Make faces, use gestures.

10. Take turns – don’t do all the talking.

11. Repeat and add to what they say and do.

12. Follow their lead, do what interests them.

13. Encourage them, be positive.

14. Be silly! Relax and have fun!

The 14 Talking TipsUse these tips to increase words and turns when talking, reading, or singing with a child.

Conversation Starters are colorful posters with suggestions on how to use the Talking Tips in situations like hand-washing, morning arrival, and diaper changes. You can post these helpful reminders where the activity usually takes place, like next to a changing table and by a classroom door.

What are Conversation StartersTM?

Coach Binder ii

Sample Room Summary ReportThe Room Summary Report is a bird’s-eye view of the patterns of talk in the room on the most recent LENA Day. It is from this report that teachers have the opportunity to earn stars!

3. This LENA Day - Hourly Breakout graph shows an hourly breakout of conversational turns per hour on the most recent LENA Day.

4. The Room-Level Interactive Talk Clock is a snapshot of all talk in the classroom from 8 am to 5 pm. A wedge is filled in for every Interactive Hour (any hour where children are experiencing an average of five or more turns per hour). The wedges turn green when at least five hours are interactive. This is an Interactive Day!

• A trophy appears on the hour with the highest number of turns.• A star will appear in the middle of the clock for an Interactive Day.

5. The Child-Level Interactive Talk Clocks show each child’s experience on the current LENA Day. They are arranged left to right according to level of interaction (turns per hour, lowest to highest).

• The number in the middle of each clock is the average for each child. • If a child’s name is listed but the center of their clock says “NA,” this means the child did not

participate in the current LENA Day. • Underneath the clocks, there is a summary of the child’s Interactive Days.

1. Total stars: Teachers can earn up to two stars per report. This number reflects the total stars earned up through the most recent LENA Day.

2. The Conversational Turns per Hour graph compares the average of the previous three LENA Days (left bar) to the most recent LENA Day (right bar). A star will appear on this graph if:

• This LENA Day is at or above 25 turns per hour.

or• This LENA Day is higher

than the “Previous Average” bar.

3 earned from Turns - 7 earned from Interactive LENA Days

10 total stars earned since LENA Day 1

Conversational Turns per Hour This LENA Day - Hourly Breakout

510

25

35

Previous Average This LENA Day

21

31

You earned a starbecause this LENA Dayis 25 or more!

0

20

40

60

80

8A 9A 10A 11A 12P 1P 2P 3P 4P

Room-Level Interactive Clock

9

12

3

8am was your best hour for this day with 71 turns.

Yvette32 months

18per hour

5 days of 7

Bob23 months

32per hour

5 days of 7

Fulton29 months

33per hour

5 days of 6

Erin23 months

38per hour

7 days of 7

Abner25 months

NA

2 days of 5

Day #7 - 6/5/2018Room Summary Toddler Room 1 - Spring - 5 Children

Coach Binder iii

Sample Room Detail ReportThe Room Detail Report will help shift the discussion to a more detailed review of hourly counts and other LENA measures. Daily summaries are on the left with the most recent day shaded darker. The hourly breakouts for that day are shown on the right.

1. LENA Day Adult Words shows adult word count estimates. LENA technology does not recognize specific words. It estimates word counts based on syllable counts and sound distributions.

3. LENA Day Conversational Turns shows the average number of conversational turns per hour on each LENA Day. Stars on this graph represent the stars earned on the Conversational Turns per Hour chart on the Room Summary Report for that day.*

4. LENA Day Audio Environment/Clear Speech graph estimates the amount of clear speech children in the room were exposed to. Clear speech is any adult or child vocal output not dominated by noise, overlapping speech, or electronic media. This amount is usually lower than 20 percent in child care settings. When this amount is lower than 10 or 15 percent, there could be excessive noise levels that can make it more difficult for children to hear, attend to, and absorb language.

5. The Hourly Breakout graphs in the right-hand column show words, turns, and audio environment details from the most recent LENA Day, hour by hour.

*Child cries are not included in conversational turns or clear speech.

2. The lines and bands on the graphs provide a comparison to LENA’s database of Grow classrooms.• The dark lines

represent the average adult words or conversational turns in the home.

• The lighter bands show the averages from children in LENA Grow classrooms.

The lines and bands on the conversational turns graph are adjusted based on the average age of the children in the classroom.

0

1000

2000

4/26 5/8 5/15 5/22 5/29 6/5

LENA Day Adult Words

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8A 9A 10A 11A 12P 1P 2P 3P 4P

Adult Words - Hourly Breakout 6/5/18

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4/26 5/8 5/15 5/22 5/29 6/5

LENA Day Conversational Turns

01020304050607080

8A 9A 10A 11A 12P 1P 2P 3P 4P

Conversational Turns - Hourly Breakout 6/5/18

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

6/5

Average CT in home language environmentTypical CT range in preschool/child care environments

LENA Day Audio Environment/Clear Speech

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

8A 9A 10A 11A 12P 1P 2P 3P 4P

Hourly Audio Environment on 6/5/18

Average AWC in home language environmentTypical AWC range in preschool/child care environments

4/26 5/8 5/15 5/22 5/29Typical range in preschool/child care environments

6/5/18Room Detail Toddler Room 1 - Spring - 5 Children

4/24

4/24

4/24

Coach Binder iv

Sample Progress ReportThe Progress Report looks at change over time. It compares average turns for each child’s first two and most recent two LENA Days. The data includes all children who have at least four LENA Days.

There are three turns levels shown on the Room Progress Report:

1. AdvAnced – Children who experienced 25 or more turns per hour, on average.

2. Accomplished – Children who experienced 15 or more turns per hour, on average.

3. Above minimum – Children who experienced five or more turns per hour, on average

Each level shows two bars:

4. Beginning: The top bar shows the number of children who satisfied each level’s criteria at their initial recordings (average of their first two LENA Days).

5. Last 2 LENA Days: The lower bar shows the average of each child’s most recent two LENA Days. The goal is for the lower bar to be longer than the upper, which shows improvement.

6. Goals: The triangle shows the goal for each level. The goal is to get at least 30 percent to AdvAnced, at least 60 percent to Accomplished, and at least 90 percent of children to Above minimum.

From Apr 24, 2018 - Jun 5, 2018 (6 Weeks)Progress | Toddler Room 1 - Spring

Children in each room who had at least five LENA Days and met attendance criteria for the time period indicated.

First 2 LENA Days

Last 2 LENA Days

First 2 LENA Days

Last 2 LENA Days

First 2 LENA Days

Last 2 LENA Days

0 25 50 75 100

20%

60%

60%

80%

100%

100%

1

3

3

4

5

5

Advanced: 25+ Turns

Acco��lished: �5+ Turns

A�ove Mini�u�: 5+ Turns

Percent of Your Children Meeting Goal

Total Children: 5

Goals: 90%, 60%, 30%

four

Coach Binder 1

LENA Grow OrientationThe LENA Grow Orientation will introduce teachers to the basics of the program, help them understand the benefits — both for themselves and for parents and children — and prepare them for their first LENA Day. We’ve split orientation into two parts that can be completed separately or together. Part I is a general program overview. Part II focuses on LENA Day logistics. We recommend separating the two sessions if there will be a long wait between handing out consent forms and the first LENA Day, otherwise it is optimal to complete the entire orientation in a single, one-hour group meeting.

Both parts are best delivered using the Orientation PowerPoint slides with embedded videos. Notes for each slide are provided.

Prep for Orientation Part I - What, Why, and How?• Download Orientation Part I slide deck from

LENA Online Resources.• Review Part I slides and notes.• Prepare computer/laptop/notebook to

project slide deck.• Prepare a tentative plan of the rollout process

including timeline for first LENA Days.• Bring enough Teacher Workbooks.• Prepare any necessary documents for

communicating with parents. This will depend on the exact needs of the center, but might include:

Parent letters (editable template provided in LENA Online Resources).

Parent consent forms (editable template provided in LENA Online Resources).

Prep for Orientation Part II - LENA Day Logistics• Download Orientation Part II slide deck from LENA Online Resources.• Review Part II slides and notes.• Prepare computer/laptop/notebook to project slide deck.• Bring several LENA devices and vests for hands-on practice.• Remind teachers to bring their Teacher Workbooks.

2 LENA Grow

Orientation - Part I• Welcome teachers and make introductions.

Coach Binder 3

Agenda• Review agenda.• Let teachers know they will learn what the program is all about and how to share it with parents.

4 LENA Grow

Coach Binder 5

Why is Early Talk Important?• Review slide and discuss.• It may be helpful to add an analogy to create a mental image of how talk builds brain development.

For example, consider comparing the young brain to a “blank canvas” or “fertile soil” for developing language skills. Use whatever comparison will resonate best with teachers at your center.

6 LENA Grow

What is LENA Grow?• LENA Grow is a 10-week professional development program for early childhood teachers. It uses

advanced technology to help teachers learn about patterns of talk in their classrooms. • During each “LENA Day,” all participating children wear a LENA device to capture their individual

language or talk experience over the course of the day. • Then, LENA software crunches the numbers and generates feedback reports about the day.• Teachers will meet with a coach weekly to review the reports, learn tips to increase interactive talk,

and set goals.

Coach Binder 7

Privacy Features• Teachers may worry about the recording or that they may “get in trouble” for something they say in

the classroom. To ease these concerns, review the key points about privacy on the slide.• You can compare it to sitting in a restaurant next to a family that’s speaking a language you don’t

know or understand, you just know when they are talking.

8 LENA Grow

Benefits of LENA Grow• Review slide and discuss.• Note that teachers may also see children struggle less with challenging behavior – especially toddlers

and older children as they learn to voice their needs and frustrations. • Teachers (and coaches) will have the opportunity to become LENA certified after completing the

program. LENA certification confirms teachers have met program requirements and endorses their expertise in promoting quality interaction in early childhood settings.

• Tell teachers that they can learn more about certification in the Teacher Workbook.

Coach Binder 9

How Does it Work?• Teachers will likely want to know when things will get started, so plan ahead to decide when consent

forms will be distributed to parents and schedule the first LENA Days. • Review the LENA Grow schedule, noting that LENA Days are the red dots.• “You see that once the program starts, we’ll record and do coaching sessions once a week. Before the

program begins we’ll start with two ‘practice’ LENA Days – those are the first two red dots.“

LENA Day: All participating children will wear a vest with a LENA device inside its pocket that captures their individual language or “talk experience” throughout the day.LENA reports: The LENA software processes the data into reports for teachers showing a breakdown of talk patterns hour-by-hour and the times of day where the most interaction is happening in the classroom.Coaching Session: Teachers meet with a coach to review the LENA reports and learn simple strategies to increase interactive talk in the classroom. They also review Talking Tips and “Conversation Starters” to post around the classroom and share with families.

10 LENA Grow

What Teachers are Saying About LENA Grow• Introduce the video by saying, “Now we’ll have a chance to hear from real teachers who have

completed the program.”• Watch and discuss “What Teachers are Saying About LENA Grow” video. • If you have teachers who have been through the program, this is a great time to let them share their

experiences, too.

Coach Binder 11

12 LENA Grow

Parent Consent• Review the sample Parent Consent form and “Answering Parent Questions” page in the Teacher

Workbook.

Coach Binder 13

Let’s Practice• Ask teachers to split into pairs. • Have one teacher demonstrate to the other. • Have each teacher practice introducing the program to the “parent” then follow up by asking their

partner questions from the “Answering Parent Questions” page. • Move around the room to answer any questions. • Have teachers swap roles. • After both teachers have had the chance to practice, discuss how it went and what additional

questions they have as a group.

14 LENA Grow

Questions?• Answer any questions that come up. Contact [email protected] if you would like more information.

Coach Binder 15

Orientation - Part II• Welcome teachers.

16 LENA Grow

Agenda• Review agenda.• Let teachers know that they will learn everything they need to know to complete their first LENA Day.

Coach Binder 17

Using LENA to Measure Talk in Your Classroom• Play “Using LENA to Measure Talk in Your Classroom” video and discuss key points:

Try to do LENA Days the same day each week, but change the day when:• Several children are absent - try to make sure at least half of the participating children are

wearing vests each LENA Day.• Something out of the ordinary is scheduled that will take much of the day.• None of the teachers present are participating in LENA Grow.

Act natural: Don’t overdo talk. • The first two days are practice before we start the program to help capture normal sounds

and the usual amounts children are talking in the room.• Just ignore the LENA device.• If possible, pretend it isn’t there.

18 LENA Grow

LENA Log• Use the LENA Log to make notes during the day about activities or events.

• There is a sample in the Teacher Workbook and extra copies will be provided to keep in the room binder.

• It may be helpful to post a log every LENA Day so teachers can easily make notes.

Coach Binder 19

Video Review• Complete “Using LENA to Measure Talk in Your Classroom — Video Review” in the Teacher Workbook.

20 LENA Grow

Hands-On Practice• Ask teachers to partner up with one vest and one LENA device per pair. • Take about 10 minutes and have each pair take turns using the device and vest following the

“Recording With LENA” page in the Teacher Workbook.

Coach Binder 21

Tips for Getting Children to Wear LENA Clothing• Review “Tips for Getting Children to Wear LENA Clothing” in the Teacher Workbook.

22 LENA Grow

LENA Day Logistics• Review slide.

Coach Binder 23

Your First Two Practice LENA Days• Let teachers know when the first two LENA days are scheduled.• Review points to remember:

Don’t “over talk” – just do what you normally would. Try to forget the vest is there. The first two days are just to practice logistics and test the typical

sound environment in your classroom.

24 LENA Grow

Questions?• Discuss any questions.

Coach Binder 25

Coaching Session 1Coaching Session 1 is divided into two parts. The first part focuses on core content. The second part focuses on individual coaching. We recommend that the first part be presented in a group and the second part be one-on-one. If you are comfortable delivering reports in a group, you can combine both parts into one group session.

Prep for Part I - Introduction to Core Content:• Ensure access to:

“All About LENA Grow” video. “Using the Talking Tips to Build Your

Children’s Brains” video.• Bring one Talking Tips poster for each room.

Prep for Part II - Individual Coaching:

• Ensure access to: “Understanding Your LENA Grow

Report” video.• Print and hole-punch Room Summary Report

for each room from LENA Online.• Prepare star stickers based on stars earned on

the Room Summary Report.• Bring a Room Binder for each room.

26 LENA Grow

Part I: Introduction to Core Content Share and review “All About LENA Grow” video. Û Play “All About LENA Grow” video and ask for reactions.

• Had you heard about any of this brain research?• Was anything surprising about the research?• Any questions on conversational turns? What do conversational turns look like in your classroom?

Discuss key points from the video. • Teachers’ jobs are not easy and go far beyond basic care; a child’s early experiences with teachers and

caregivers set lifelong learning trajectories.• Adult words are important; conversational turns are even more important.• A conversational turn is a single exchange – adult or child says something, child or adult responds.• LENA is a scientifically validated tool that helps you understand the patterns of talk in your room.• LENA Grow combines LENA feedback and coaching sessions to help teachers make sure all children

are receiving the language they need to be ready for kindergarten.

Introduce the 14 Talking Tips.Û Play “Using the Talking Tips to Build Your Children’s Brains” video. Each coaching session will focus on a different care routine, with videos of real teachers using the Talking Tips during those activities.

Discuss key points from the video. • Talking Tips are ways to increase interactive talk

with children.• Use Talking Tips during regular daily care routines.• Emphasize the importance of conversational turns.• Focus on conversations – interacting with the

child, not just “talking at” the child.• Watch the child and verbally describe or respond

to what he/she is doing.• Ask questions, especially open-ended questions.

Hand out Talking Tips poster (one poster per room). Review the list of Talking Tips and briefly discuss each one. Emphasize that the idea is not to add more “to dos” to the day; rather it is to use the tips as springboards for conversation as the teacher goes about the activities he/she is already doing.

We recommend that teachers post the Talking Tips poster in their classroom - in a place where parents can see it to spark conversation about ways to increase interaction at home.

The Talking Tips are simple to understand and implement in a busy classroom, so it’s easier to actually do them. They’ve helped me get my kids talking more by following their lead

and paying attention to what they’re interested in.

— Dasheena, Early Head Start Teacher, Acelero Learning (Wisconsin)

Coach Binder 27

Part II: Individual CoachingThis part can still be delivered one-on-one or in a group setting.

Step 1 - Discuss previous LENA Days. Some questions you might ask:

• How did the children react to wearing the vests?• Have you had any unexpected responses from parents or staff?• How do you feel your two practice LENA Days went?

Step 2 - Introduce and review the LENA Grow Room Summary Report. Û Play “Understanding Your LENA Grow Report” video.

Walk through the five key elements of the report using the “Sample Room Summary Report” in the Room Binder.

Complete “Room Summary Report — Video Review” in the Teacher Workbook. After discussing key points, go through the video review with the teacher(s). Note that this review is helpful preparation for the teacher certification quiz.

Discuss the Room Summary Report with the teacher.Use the new LENA Day Room Summary Report to start strength-based conversations about what the teacher’s real-life classroom days are like, along with the experiences and behaviors of individual children.

Remember: focus on the positive and lead with questions!

Here are some questions you might ask: • Take a moment and look at your Room Summary Report. What are your thoughts? What do you

notice? • (If applicable) Let’s look at the stars on your Room Summary Report. What do you think? Are you

surprised? • Look at the “This LENA Day - Hourly Breakout.” What do you notice? • Look at the room’s Trophy Hour. Note the number of turns. What was happening during that time? • Let’s look at each child’s interactive talk clock.

Do these line up the way you would expect? What jumps out at you?

28 LENA Grow

Step 3 - Review the Talking Tips. Briefly review the 14 Talking Tips page in preparation for goal setting. Ask the teacher the following questions:

• Which of these is easier or more natural for you?• Which do you think will be more challenging?

Step 4 - Set goals. Wrap up the coaching session by setting goals for the next LENA Day.

• Here are some example goals: To earn stars for an increase in conversational turns per hour, and/or an Interactive Day. To increase conversational turns with one or two specific children in the classroom. To increase the number of conversational turns during a specific hour. To focus on using a specific Talking Tip throughout the day.

• After the goal is established, ask: What are your next steps in meeting this goal? What support/resources might you need to meet this goal?

• The teacher should write the goal in his/her workbook and you should write the goal on the Coaching Session Notes and Goals sheet in this binder.

• Remind the teacher that this is the longest session. The next session will be shorter since there is less new material to review.

• Show the teacher where the Room Summary Report goes in the Room Binder.

After the session ends, write any additional notes on the Notes and Goals sheet and put it in the back section of this Coach Binder for easy reference.

I was really excited to have the LENA Grow coach come

in. I wanted to see that report and how many stars we got, and to see how we grew and

in what part of the day.

— Brittany, Floater Teacher at Aspen Center for Child

Development in Longmont, Colo.

Coach Binder 29

Coaching Sessions 2-10Prep for Sessions 2-9:

• Remind teacher(s) to bring the Teacher Workbook and Room Binder to the coaching session.

• Bring your Coach Binder.• Make sure Talking Tips video slide decks are

downloaded from LENA Online Resources.• Bring computer to play Talking Tip videos.• Print and punch holes in one copy of the Room

Summary Report for each classroom. (Room Detail Reports can be optionally printed after Session 2.)

• Prepare star stickers for Room Summary Reports.

• Bring “Conversation Starter” poster for selected classroom routine.

• Print Parent Reports from LENA Online for Session 5 and beyond (if you are using these).

Additional prep for Session 2, Room Detail Report: Print and punch holes in one copy of the Room Detail Report for each classroom. Ensure access to Room Detail Report video.

Additional prep for Session 5, Midpoint Reflection: Print new room Progress Report. Decide goal level for room. Note: If a majority of children don’t have five LENA Days, wait until Session 6.

Additional prep for Session 8, Beat Your Best LENA Day: Look through all of the Room Summary Reports in LENA Online or the Room Binder to

identify the highest turns day. Print the report that includes the highest turns day. Plan how you will celebrate teachers who meet their “Beat Your Best” goal, so you can let

them know during the session!

Prep for Session 10, Celebration!:• Print final Room Summary and Room Detail Reports for each room.• Print final center-level Progress Report (combining all rooms).• Identify which rooms met the “Beat your Best” goal.• Prepare for your celebration!

30 LENA Grow

Coach Binder 311©2018 LENA Grow

Remember to award stars.

Take a moment and look at your Room Summary Report. What are your thoughts? What do you notice?

a. (if available) Take a look back at your previous Room Summary Report(s).What do you notice?

Let’s look at the stars on your Room Summary Report. What do you think? Are you surprised?

a. If a teacher received a star, ask: What did you do to earn one (or two) star(s)?b. (if applicable) Celebrate stars!

Look at “This LENA Day - Hourly Breakout.” What do you notice?

Look at the room’s Trophy Hour this week. Note the number of turns. What was happening during this time?

Let’s look at each child’s interactive talk clock.

a. Do these line up the way you would expect? What jumps out at you?b. (if applicable) Each child’s interactive talk clock will be given to his/her

parents. What might you say to parents when explaining these?

Step 1: Discuss Previous LENA Day

How was your LENA Day?

What was your experience with your goal this week? (Restate the goal, if needed.)

a. What have you been practicing since our last session?b. What have you noticed with the children?

Coaching Session Guided Questions

Step 2: Review LENA Reports


32 LENA Grow


2©2018 LENA Grow

Step 3: Review Talking Tips Activities

Introduce the Conversation Starter routine:a. Today, we are going to talk about ____________.b. Tell me a little bit about how you engage in interactive talk during

_____________ ?

Review the Conversation Starter page in the Teacher Workbook and ask the teacher to consider what he/she could add to the suggestions.

Now we’re going to watch a short video about ______________ (routine). Use the 14 Talking Tips to facilitate discussion:

a. What are some of the Talking Tips you observed?b. What might you have done differently if you were the

teacher in the classroom?

Ask the teacher to compare the experience of the teacher in the video to their own:a. What is one thing you noticed in the video that you could apply in your room?

Given the Talking Tips activity that we just reviewed, as well as what we talked about during the session, what might you want to work on? Here are some example goals:

a. To earn stars for an increase in conversational turns per hour, and/or anInteractive Day.

b. To increase conversational turns with one or two specific children in the classroom.

c. To use a specific set of Talking Tips in the classroom during the next LENA Day.

d. To increase the number of conversational turns during one or two, orpossibly three, specific hours throughout the day.

After goals are established: What are your next steps in meeting these goals? What support/resources might you need in meeting these goals?

Step 4: Set Goals


Coach Binder 332©2018 LENA Grow

Step 3: Review Talking Tips Activities

Introduce the Conversation Starter routine:a. Today, we are going to talk about ____________.b. Tell me a little bit about how you engage in interactive talk during

_____________ ?

Review the Conversation Starter page in the Teacher Workbook and ask the teacher to consider what he/she could add to the suggestions.

Now we’re going to watch a short video about ______________ (routine). Use the 14 Talking Tips to facilitate discussion:

a. What are some of the Talking Tips you observed?b. What might you have done differently if you were the

teacher in the classroom?

Ask the teacher to compare the experience of the teacher in the video to their own:a. What is one thing you noticed in the video that you could apply in your room?

Given the Talking Tips activity that we just reviewed, as well as what we talked about during the session, what might you want to work on? Here are some example goals:

a. To earn stars for an increase in conversational turns per hour, and/or anInteractive Day.

b. To increase conversational turns with one or two specific children in the classroom.

c. To use a specific set of Talking Tips in the classroom during the next LENA Day.

d. To increase the number of conversational turns during one or two, orpossibly three, specific hours throughout the day.

After goals are established: What are your next steps in meeting these goals? What support/resources might you need in meeting these goals?

Step 4: Set Goals


Introduction to the LENA Grow Room Detail Report (Session 2 only)This report is a supplement to the Room Summary Report. It is optional to include this report during Session 2. If teachers are pursuing LENA Certification, you will need to explain and review it with them at least once so they can meet certification requirements.

Û Play the “Understanding the LENA Grow Room Detail Report” video.

Walk through the five key elements on the “Sample Room Detail Report” in the Room Binder

Complete “Room Detail Report — Video Review” in the Teacher Workbook.After discussing the key points, go through the video review with the teacher(s). Remind them that this review is helpful preparation for the LENA teacher certification quiz.

Discuss the new Room Detail Report with the teacher.Now it’s time to show the teacher real data from his/her room. Remember, this report has daily averages for each LENA Day on the left and hourly breakouts for the most recent LENA Day on the right. Note that stars aren’t earned on this report - they are earned only on the Room Summary Report. Here are some tips on report interpretation:

LENA Day Adult Words and Conversational Turns• The level for a typical home environment (represented by the darker lines) is difficult to

exceed since caregiving in the home is often closer to one-on-one. • If the LENA Day turns bars are lower than expected, look at the adult words bars. Are they

above 750? If so, the teachers are talking but may not be as skilled at turn-taking just yet. The focus of the program is turn taking, so the conversational turns bars should get taller as the program continues.

• The stars on the conversational turns graph are the same as the stars on the Room Summary Report’s Conversational Turns per Hour (they are not new/additional stars).

Hourly Breakouts of Adult Words and Conversational Turns (also shown on Room Summary Report)

• These graphs offer a wonderful opportunity to talk about what was happening during the highest hours. Any hour above 15 conversational turns is good.

LENA Day Audio Environment/Clear Speech• If turns are low, look at the LENA Day Audio Environment/Clear Speech graph to see if there

may be opportunities to reduce noise and boost turns.• Clear speech levels around 20 percent are typical for a child care setting. Numbers below 10-15

percent may indicate a noisier environment where it’s more challenging for children to absorb language.

34 LENA Grow

Midpoint Reflection and the Progress Report (Session 5 onward)This additional content can be delivered during the coaching session anytime before goal setting.

Ask how the teacher feels about progress made since beginning the program. Some questions you might ask:

• What were you expecting? We’re half-way through the program. Think back to the first LENA Day... Have you had any big surprises? Have you had any disappointments?

• When do you find it easiest to talk and engage more with the children?• When do you find it hardest?• Do you have any ideas to help other teachers with their “hardest times?”• Is there anything you wish you had known at the start of the program?

Introduce the Progress Reports. Explain that you are now halfway through the program and there is enough data to see how things are going compared to where the room started. Note that the Progress Report is what the final program report will look like – the first and last two LENA Days will be compared. Now is the time to take a peek at the data to see what improvements have been made and to set goals for the last half of the program.

Walk through the six points in the Sample Progress Report and deliver the new report.• First review the three turns levels, describing how children are assigned to a level.• Talk about the normal day-to-day variation in child care. To look at change over time, we average

the first two (“Beginning”) and the last two LENA days.• Review what each bar means and the goal for the second bar to be longer than the first.• Now show them their Progress Report and discuss the data.

• When bar lengths are even, do they understand what this means?• If all or most children are above minimum, celebrate!• Explain that having a majority of the children at the “accomplished” level is great. • Review the percentages to aim for (based on LENA’s preschool/child care database).

Above Minimum – 90% Accomplished – 60% Advanced – 30%

Decide together which program success goal(s) to work toward.The Progress Reports are meant to inspire teachers to increase turns and push beyond where they started or what they have already accomplished. Talk with the teacher about how he/she might apply the Talking Tips to daily routines and work with other classroom teachers to meet program success goals.

Coach Binder 35

Beat Your Best LENA Day! (Session 8)During the three-month LENA Grow sequence, teachers become more aware of the importance of conversational turns, achieve increases, learn what that looks like in their data, and master new skills. As the program progresses, the “Beat Your Best” goal is a fun way to keep gains going and encourage teachers to work together to take their quality interactions to the next level.

This additional session content can be delivered during the coaching session anytime before goal setting.

Introduce the “Beat Your Best” concept. After going through the regular LENA reports, let teachers know that as they near the end of the program there is a fun way to work with other teachers toward a final “Beat your Best” goal.

Discuss the “Beat Your Best” goal.• Show them the Room Summary Report

with the highest turns day – this is the number to beat.

• Explain the new goal: On one of the last two LENA Days, be higher than the best day on the report.

• They only need to be higher on one of the final two days. If they don’t reach it on the next LENA Day, they will have another chance.

Encourage teachers to work with other teachers in their room to make a plan to meet the goal.Potential ways to meet the goal might include:

• Focus on certain children who may need more attention, or focus on certain hours of the day that have been lower than others (except nap time, of course!).

• Decide which Talking Tips to focus on during the last two LENA Days. • Look at the Talking Tips poster during the day and pick a child to try a tip with every hour. Work with

the other teachers to change things up.

Share how you will celebrate if they meet their goal! Meeting this goal is worthy of a special celebration! If there is more than one room participating, setting a center-wide goal can bring all the teachers together and make meeting it even more exciting. Plan any celebrations ahead of time to share with teachers during this session.

For inspiration, here are a few ideas from other LENA Grow sites:• Put teacher names and pictures up on a

bulletin board• Talk about meeting the goal in the next

newsletter

• Gift bag/gift cards• Take teachers to lunch• Plan a party for teachers who meet goals• Enter names into a drawing for a prize

If the highest turns day for a specific room was unusual in some way, it may be unreasonable to set this as the “Beat Your Best” goal. For example, if that day happened to have fewer children or more teachers present, then it may be relatively difficult to achieve that level in a more typical situation. In these cases, we recommend moving to the next highest turns day for “Beat Your Best” goal setting.

Setting a “Beat Your Best” Goal

36 LENA Grow

Celebration! (Session 10)The final LENA Grow coaching session provides an opportunity to celebrate accomplishments and set long-term goals. Holding this as a group session lets teachers be acknowledged for achievement among their peers. It works well if teachers sit next to co-teachers, so they can look at their room reports together. Note that there is no new Conversation Starter at this session. Complete Steps 1 and 2 of the Coaching Session Guided Questions. In addition, ask teachers about their experiences working toward the “Beat Your Best” goal. Discuss final Progress Reports with the teachers. If you decide to share group performance, you can use the final center-level progress report, which compares the first two LENA Days with the final two for all children at the center. If you had a center-wide goal focused on one of the LENA turns levels (Above Minimum, Accomplished, Advanced), note which percentage you were targeting and how close the center came to the goal. Celebrate accomplishments!There are many ways to celebrate LENA Grow achievements, and what works best for your teachers is up to you! You might begin by recognizing teachers who met their individual goals or noting which rooms were able to beat their best LENA Day. Set goals for life after LENA Grow. Ask teachers to fill in the final Goals box in their Teacher Workbook with post-program goals. Go around the room and share ideas, using these questions to prompt discussion:

• How will you use what you’ve learned to keep the focus on quality interactions in your classroom?• What is one thing you’ve struggled with that you want to keep working on?• How will you continue to bring LENA Grow content to parents and families?

As each teacher shares his/her goal, complete this section of their Notes and Goals sheet. Remind teachers about the process for LENA certification. Reference the description in the Teacher Workbook. In addition to completing the “Understanding LENA Reports Quiz,” teachers will need to complete the online Program Survey and the teacher certification application form. Remind them that the application requires that they submit exact coaching sessions dates, so they should have their Teacher Workbooks with them when they complete the application. Discuss the LENA Grow Refresher, if you will be doing it. Explain that you’ll be doing a short refresher in six to 12 months, so there will be an opportunity to complete additional LENA Days. Finally, congratulate teachers on a job well done!Having completed LENA Grow they are now part of an elite group in their profession who can use the techniques they have learned to enhance the brain development for hundreds of children in their care over the course of their careers!

Notes and Goals©2018 LENA Grow

Session Date Notes Goals

Room name: _____________________________ Teacher name:_____________________________

This form documents coaching sessions for each teacher. Use this to keep track of the goals teachers set for themselves. Teachers will write their goals in their Teacher Workbook, but you must also write the goals on this form for each session to submit to your supervisor at the end of the program.

Use the “Notes” space to record anything that would be helpful to remember later (for example, teacher reactions to reports, specific info about the children in the room, etc.).

Coaching Session Notes and GoalsCoaching Session Notes and Goals

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