By Lisa Liedke and Meredith MacKenzie
Imagine all children entering kindergarten, having been immersed in words, stories, and songs from the very start of life. At Wellstar, we believe every child deserves this foundation. That’s why we are integrating early healthy brain development, language acquisition, and literacy fundamentals to ensure that every child can find their voice and shape their own future.
To make this aspiration a reality, Wellstar is joining forces with leading partners to transform how healthcare and education intersect. Through the Literacy & Justice for All (LJFA), Wellstar is helping build the foundation for the serve and return of language that starts in infancy and shapes a child’s trajectory in life.
Literacy & Justice for All (LJFA): A Regional Partnership
LJFA is a regional partnership focused on all children’s access to reading, led by the Atlanta Speech School’s Rollins Center for Language & Literacy and its online Cox Campus. The partnership includes school districts, universities, nonprofit organizations, hospitals, and health systems.
As a key implementation partner in LJFA, Wellstar is establishing a system-wide pediatric program, Small TALK, that begins with maximizing the impact of the million neural synapses a second formed in a child’s brain in the first years of life. Using proven methods like Talk With Me Baby (TWMB), Small TALK integrates language nutrition as a foundation for reading into its OBGYN and pediatric offices. This ensures a seamless continuum of care, engaging parents from pregnancy through birth and into their pediatric well-child visits. Wellstar supports prenatal education, Kennestone Hospital’s Mother Baby and Neonatal Intensive Care Units, and 13 ambulatory pediatric offices.
Wellstar’s Commitment to Literacy and Health
Wellstar’s dedication to serving with compassion, pursuing excellence, and honoring every voice is reflected across its 11 hospitals and over 330 medical offices throughout Georgia. In 2022, the Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNA) identified education as a critical social determinant of health in Wellstar’s Cobb, Kennestone, and Windy Hill communities. By investing in literacy, Wellstar is helping close the gap between healthcare and education, with plans to expand this effort to other regions.
The Importance of Language Nutrition for Brain Growth
Just as children need food nutrition to grow their bodies, they require language nutrition to grow their brains. Research shows that:
- 80% of brain growth and development occurs between pre-birth and age 3.
- By age 5, brain growth reaches 90%.
- By the third trimester, a baby’s auditory channels are fully formed, and exposure to quality language creates neural pathways that build a foundational vocabulary for future learning.
Healthcare systems play a vital role in supporting early language development. Wellstar is committed to guiding patients and their families through this essential phase of brain growth.
How Small TALK Addresses the Gap
The Small TALK team helps bridge the gap between healthcare and education by training staff in the Model, Educate, and Coach framework. This comprehensive training equips staff with an understanding of brain science and how it influences language acquisition, empowering them to create a language-rich environment for families.
Through collaborative engagements, healthcare professionals work closely with families, explaining and coaching how to actualize early healthy brain development and language acquisition. These conversations not only help monitor early development and address concerns but also encourage early interventions when needed. Families receive guidance on fostering language growth at home, with additional resources and referrals provided if necessary.
Real-World Impact: Dr. Susan Staviss’ Experience
Dr. Susan Staviss, a Wellstar pediatrician, was among the first to integrate Small TALK into her patient appointments. “The literacy ecosystem starts with parents and families even before a baby is born, and it continues throughout childhood,” said Dr. Staviss. “We make a point of talking with the child just as much as the parent or caregiver.”
These interactions, combined with resources and coaching, enable families to experience how simple it is to build early literacy skills that last a lifetime.
By the Numbers: The Impact of Small TALK
Since its launch:
- 561 healthcare staff have been trained.
- 69,312 well-child visits have taken place across 13 pediatric offices from April 2023 to August 2024.
- 96% of families reported a better understanding of how talking, reading, singing, and playing with their child supports brain growth and development.
- 92% of families noticed improvements in their child’s communication after applying intentional moments at home.
These outcomes illustrate the significant role Small TALK plays in improving pediatric literacy.
Looking Ahead: Expanding Small TALK
As LJFA expands to include hospital networks, the literacy ecosystem grows stronger, providing children with the foundational abilities and skills they need to thrive in preschool through elementary school and far beyond. Wellstar’s current focus is on the Kennestone Hospital region, and the program is extending into KH-affiliated OBGYN offices and Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center. With this expansion, Wellstar remains committed to reaching even more families, ensuring that every child has the language and literacy foundation essential for lifelong success.
For more information on how your healthcare providers, hospital delivery department or birthing center can make early healthy brain development, language acquisition and a foundation for literacy available to all child-facing healthcare staff and patient families, contact The Rollins Center for Language and Literacy at partnerships@coxcampus.org.
This is sponsored content.
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