Talking is Teaching
Drs. Morris (PI) and Roblyer (Co-PI) direct the Talking is Teaching evaluation project. The Talking is Teaching Project is comprised of three current studies: the Grocery Store Study (GSS), the Parent Child Center of Tulsa (PCCT) Study, and the Text4Baby (T4B) Study. These studies are funded by the George Kaiser Family Foundation and the Opportunity Institute. The GSS and the PCCT study evaluate the impact of literacy kits being delivered to pregnant women at OBGYN offices and to women giving birth at Tulsa hospitals as part of the Talking is Teaching Tulsa Campaign. The Talking is Teaching Tulsa Campaign is part of a larger multimedia campaign that is working to help parents understand that they have the power to boost their children’s vocabulary through simple actions every day - like talking about things seen on a walk, or singing songs together during bath time. Using social media, books, videos and information from expert partners, Talking is Teaching shares fun and easy ways that parents can improve their babies' learning.
Studies
Grocery Store Study
The GSS is an experimental study in which signs meant to stimulate parent/caregiver-child talk about objects, shapes, colors, weights, etc., are placed in grocery stores. Trained research assistants unobtrusively observe and code instances of parent/caregiver-child interaction during two conditions: signs-down and signs-up. The study compares the amount and quality of parent/caregiver-child’s interaction (e.g., number of conversational turns) between the signs-down and the signs up-conditions.
Parent Child Center Study
The Parent Child Center of Tulsa (PCCT) Study is a prospective investigation examining changes in attitudes toward early literacy and in parenting behaviors that promote school readiness and socioemotional development. The target population of the study is women giving birth at local hospitals. We are partnering with nurse educators at the PCCT who are delivering literacy toolkits to mothers in the hospitals post-birth.
Text4Baby (T4B) Study
The T4B Study is a cross-sectional survey that explores attitudes towards talking, singing, and reading to babies, as well as parenting behaviors that promote early literacy and socioemotional development. The target population of the study is enrollees in the Text4baby free text messaging program living in Oklahoma and surrounding states. We will examine attitudes toward talking, reading, and singing to babies.