Course Outline
4. LENA Fundamentals: Technology (3 min)
LENA Grow uses technology to capture and analyze classroom interactions. The graphic below shows how technology supports each step of the LENA Feedback Cycle.
| A. The LENA device is a small, child‑safe recorder worn by children once a week on the LENA Day. It captures interactions between adults and children throughout the day. |  |
| B. After a LENA Day, staff upload the data from each device using LENA Hub. This step, called "processing", analyzes the data. |  |
| C. The day after processing, reports are available in LENA Online, the web portal used to manage the program. Coaches print or email these reports to review with teachers during coaching sessions. |  |
Watch the video to learn more.
Privacy Features
LENA is safe, secure, and private.
- The LENA device can only record audio. It cannot play it back.
- LENA software identifies adult talk, child talk, and noise by analyzing sound patterns — it does not understand words.
- Recorded sounds are automatically deleted and never saved.
- Data is accessible only to those who need to see it, like classroom teachers and coaches.
The LENA device works like this: You go out to lunch. A family at the next table is conversing in a language you don’t understand. You can tell who speaks and who responds, but you have no idea what they are saying.
LENA is like a pedometer for conversations: Instead of counting steps, it counts words and turns!
Check your understanding: