HER SON GOING INTO FOURTH GRADE. >> Jason: COOL!
♪
♪ >>> AS CHILDREN START THEIR
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL THIS YEAR,
THIS MORNING, ONE SPECIAL
PROGRAM IS STARTING A NEW KIND
OF CONVERSATION IN THE
CLASSROOM.
CLASSROOM. >> Tati: OUR SPONSORS AT THE
WAYNE COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
DISTRICT SUPPORT THIS INITIATIVE
KNOWN AS TALKING IS TEACHING,
AND IT’S MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN
THE LIVES OF KIDS HERE IN THE D.
♪
♪ >> I AM SENIOR PASTOR AT THE
BAPTIST CHURCH AND FAITH
PRESIDENT OF THE MICHIGAN
PROGRESSIVE BAPTIST CONVENTION.
TALKING IS TEACHING IS AN
IMPORTANT PROGRAM SPECIFICALLY
FOR THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN
COMMUNITY.
COMMUNITY. FROM THE AFRICAN TRADITION,
WE’RE AN OLD TRADITION PEOPLE
AND HAVE NOW EXPERIENCED IN THIS
CURRENT GENERATION YOUNG PEOPLE
WHO HAVE ABOUT 30 MILLION WORD
GAP BY THE TIME THEY’RE AT A
5-YEAR-OLD AGE.
5-YEAR-OLD AGE. WE NEED TO SHORTEN THAT BY
GETTING YOUNG PEOPLE AWAY FROM
SCREENS AND TECHNOLOGY TO
ACTUALLY TALKING AND SPEAKING.
SO WE NEED TO INCREASE THROUGH
TALKING AND TEACHING THE ABILITY
FOR PEOPLE TO BECOME FAMILIAR
AGAIN WITH HEARING NOT ONLY
WORDS BUT UNDERSTANDING THE
CONTEXT AND THE MEANING OF THE
WORDS.
WORDS. NOT ONLY DO WE FULFILL THE
CULTURAL TRADITION BUT THE
SPIRITUAL TRADITION FOR EVEN THE
LORD GOD SPOKE WHEN HE SAID "LET
THERE BE."
THERE BE." >> Tati: V. LONNIE PEEK, JR.
BROUGHT US THIS STORY AND HAS
MORE ABOUT THE PROGRAM.
REVEREND PEEK, HOW ARE YOU?
>> I’M WELL, HOW ARE YOU DOING
TODAY?
TODAY? >> Tati: I’M GOOD.
>> YOU LOOK GORGEOUS!
>> Tati: YOU’RE SO SWEET.
WHAT IS THE 30 MILLION WORD GAP
SFL.
SFL. >> AFFLUENT FAMILIES, BY THE
TIME THE CHILD IS 5-6 YEARS
OWED, THEY HAVE HEARD 30 MILLION
WORDS.
WORDS. LOWER INCOME ABOUT 4,000 WORDS.
>> Tati: THAT’S A HUGE GAP!
>> SO TALKING IS TEACHING, AND
WE’RE USING THE CHURCHES, AS YOU
SEE, USING THE CHURCHES, TALKING
IS TEACHING IS USED FOR BRAIN
DEVELOPMENT.
DEVELOPMENT. WE GO INTO THE INDIVIDUAL
CHURCHES WITH THE CHURCH
COORDINATOR AND INSTILL IN
PARENTS TALKING TO THEIR
CHILDREN ABOUT NORMAL STUFF.
A THE GROCERY STORE, TALK ABOUT
THE SIZE OF THE VEGETABLES, THE
COLORS OF THE VEGETABLES.
IN YOUR HOUSE, THIS IS THE
STOVE, THIS IS THE SINK.
THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE THINK WE DON’T PUT A LOT OF
EMPHASIS ON, BUT THE CHILD’S
BRAIN IS GOING CLACK, CLACK,
CLACK.
CLACK. IT’S A LITERACY PROGRAM THAT
WE’RE USING.
WE’RE USING. AND WAYNE COUNTY GREAT START
INITIATED THIS PROGRAM.
>> Tati: THAT’S AN INCREDIBLE
WAY THAT PARENTS CAN SUPPORT
HAVING CONVERSATION ABOUT
DAY-TO-DAY THINGS.
DAY-TO-DAY THINGS. >> CONVERSATION.
>> CONVERSATION. WHEN YOU GO TO THE GROCERY
STORE, THIS IS AN ORANGE, THIS
IS AN APPLE.
WHEN YOU’RE TRAVELING IN THE
CAR, THAT’S A TRAFFIC LIGHT.
THINGS WE TAKE FOR GRANTED, BUT
A YOUNG CHILD, 3, 4, THEY’RE
JUST SITTING THERE AND THEIR
BRAIN IS ABSORBING ALL OF THIS.
SO IT’S A LITERACY PROGRAM TO
HELP OUR CHILDREN GAIN MORE
ACCESS TO WORD RECOGNITION AND
USAGE.
USAGE. >> Tati: AND THEY’RE SPONGES AND
WILL ABSORB ALL OF IT.
>> AND IF YOU SAY BAD WORDS --
>> Tati: THEY’RE GONNA REPEAT
IT!
IT! [LAUGHTER]
[LAUGHTER] THAT’S SO TRUE.
AND WHERE CAN PEOPLE LEARN MORE
ABOUT THIS INITIATIVE?
>> THEY CAN E-MAIL ME ON MY
E-MAIL, AND COMING THROUGH GREAT
START, WAYNE COUNTY.
AND ANY CHURCH THAT WOULD LIKE
TO BE A PART OF THIS PROGRAM, WE
CAN CONTACT THEM.
WE HAVE 12 INCHES, AND THIS IS
THE PILOT.
THE PILOT. WE HAVE 12 CHURCHES, SO THIS IS
BEING PUSHED THROUGHOUT THE
CITY.
CITY. >> Tati: YOU KNOW IT WORKS.
THE MORE WORDS YOU USE WITH THE
KIDS, THE BETTER.
IF YOU KNOW OF SOMEONE OR AN
ORGANIZATION MAKING A DIFFERENCE
IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE WANNA HEAR
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT. E-MAIL V. LONNIE PEEK, JR. AT: