Course Outline
3. LENA Fundamentals: The Reflective Feedback Cycle (3 min)
The reflective feedback cycle is at the heart of LENA Start and all LENA programs. Following best principles of adult learning (similar to Head Start’s Know, See, Do, Improve framework), the LENA Start feedback cycle provides parents and caregivers opportunities to:
- Learn strategies to increase talk with children.
- See these strategies used by real families during their daily routines.
- Practice the strategies at home.
- Reflect on their own talk behaviors and their child’s experience.
- Set goals.
Here’s how it works:
| LENA Day: During a LENA Day, children wear the LENA device, so that interactive talk can be captured and measured. Data from this day is turned into a LENA report that is shared with caregivers during the group session. Group session: A group session always follows a LENA Day. During each weekly session, coordinators introduce families to strategies to increase talk during daily routines. Families share successes and challenges with one another. Parents and caregivers watch video vignettes that feature families using these strategies in their own homes or while out and about with their children. Families review the report from their last LENA Day. Start coordinators use a strengths-based approach to ask open-ended questions and learn more about the experience. Reports show how much talk and interaction each child experienced, enabling families to reflect on their progress and set a clear goal for their next LENA Day. Coordinators also charge the family’s LENA device so they are ready for their next LENA Day. Practice: These are the days between a group session and the next LENA Day. During these days, parents and caregivers practice what they’ve learned while working toward achieving their LENA goals. Intentional practice helps build sustainable habits which lead to long-term positive outcomes for caregivers and their children. |
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