Language Nutrition

How Are the Children?
Ellyn Cochran, then United Way of Greater Atlanta’s senior director of Early Learning and Development, says all Get Georgia Reading Campaign communities need to rethink this question when assessing children’s well being.

Fueling A Love of Learning
Emily Rubin, then the director of Marcus Autism Center’s Educational Outreach Program, emphasizes the importance of creating a positive learning environment where social-emotional engagement is the fuel for a child’s learning.

Improving Literacy by Listening
Suzanne Harbin, director of the Early Childhood Initiative at the Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia, shares a vital lesson about the importance of talking to and listening to families.

The Power and Magic of Reading and Learning
Sara Lee Crumbs, Quitman County Family Connection coordinator, said something magical happens when likeminded individuals who believe in the power of learning and literacy come together and decide to meet parents where they are.

Shared Reading Program Supports Families in NICU and Beyond
Emory’s Angela Leon-Hernandez says families reading aloud to babies born prematurely has a long-term effect on language and social development, early literacy skills, and school readiness.

30 Million Words: Building the Architecture of the Brain
Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald, then the Georgia Department of Public Health Commissioner, shows how the state’s high school drop-out rate is linked to early brain development and what we can do to change this trajectory.

Meet Baby Ella and Learn How Talk With Me Baby is Helping Her and Other Babies Succeed
Did you know that talking with your baby helps your baby’s brain grow?

Early Autism Screening Can Improve Reading Proficiency
Marcus Autism Center Director Dr. Ami Klin explains why ensuring social milestones is a critical first step toward third-grade reading.

Improving Early Child Development with Words
Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald, then commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health, discusses leveraging the simple practice of talking to babies and toddlers to nourish their brains and set them up for better performance in school and life.

What Happens to Children Who Are Born Too Soon
Dr. Lucky Jain, chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine, describes the effects of preterm birth on a child’s capacity to learn.

A Shared Urgency—and Shared Agency
Arianne Weldon, director of the Get Georgia Reading Campaign, dives into the framework to create the conditions for every child in Georgia to become a proficient reader by the end of third grade.

Connecting What We Know With What We Do
Lindee Morgan, executive director for the Sandra Dunagan Deal Center for Early Language and Literacy, shares the science of reading—and dives into implementation strategies that lead to successful outcomes.

Language as a Missing Link
Emily Rubin, director of Communication Crossroads, introduces the concepts of Language as a Missing Link, describes the importance of language indicators of wellbeing, and explains how caregivers and educators can be responsive to children’s level of engagement as a way of fueling their language and literacy development.

Finding the Pandemic’s Silver Lining in Our Communities
Ralph Smith, Managing Director of the Campaign Grade-Level Reading, describes how CGLR is lifting up Kindergarten as a “sturdy bridge” between the early years and early grades on the pathway to third-grade reading proficiency and explains how it is working to accelerate equitable academic recovery.

Be Like Water
Kenneth Mason, Georgia State Board of Education, Fifth Congressional District, shares how we have to take the shape of our communities in order to make a positive impact, and fill community containers in the shape of unthwarted love and learning.