down to this little area? No. We're too young for this side of the building. Our hallway is on
the other side where we play. Okay. So this is for older kids. Yeah. Big kids. Yeah. So is that age
group your preferred target demo? Is that where you would want to be? Is it the two-year-olds and
well that's where I've been working for the past what 11 years with the age group. So I mean I'm not
I'm not saying I wouldn't work with other age groups. I just haven't had the opportunity yet.
Okay. Well I guess give me a little bit about yourself. So you 11 years is that how long you've
been here or just teaching in general? That's how long I've been working at next door 11 years.
I've been in the field for 12 years. Okay. So my first year in the field I worked in a kindergarten
classroom at a private school and then I came to next door after that. So I've been here ever since.
What do you like about working here? I like the opportunities that next door provides. I just
love interacting with the children, the families. I love watching children learn something from me
and then being able to accomplish it on their own. So you've always worked with this age range,
right? Yes. So what is the age range in your classroom? So right now I have there are two
but one just turn two and one is about to be three. Okay. And at that age that's actually a
pretty big difference, right? Yes. You have a newly two and then you have an older two. So it's like
you really have to adjust your activities because I want my youngest to learn but then I want to
keep my oldest interested too. Okay. So give me your perspective on the Lina devices in that
in that methodology because you've been here when it came in, right? Yes. So it kind of walked me
through the beginning of that and what you've taken away from it. So in the beginning it was
kind of it was different. It was something that you know we hadn't been through before so we had
a lot of questions like oh are they listening to what we're saying or are they recording our words
and then once they explain to us that hey it's just recording the number of interactions that
you're having between the kids. We were okay with it and actually I love Lina. I love it because
it helps me to really recognize my interactions with the children in the classroom and I use it
as a tool to help me improve. So before it was there did you have a sense that there might be more
kids that you were just more easily easy to interact with and some that you had to remember to go back
to them? It's I would say you do know because you know your kids so you know those the ones who
don't aren't as verbal so we already knew okay let's try to be more verbal with those kids and
then we knew the kids who you know they would just skyrocket because they talk all the time so
but it did help it helped to recognize those differences. I mean like they walked me through if you
was like one of those first like surprising moments where they showed you the data and you're like
wow I didn't think it was that. So I had a kid who was very non-verbal but Lina picked up on
not just words but the sounds so once we got his results his score was high and it was because
of the sounds that he were making not necessarily him saying words but he was interacting back and
forth with us. So what did that inform you or what did that allow you to do with that information?
It let me know that hey we're talking to him a lot and he's actually trying he's making attempts
to talk it may not be clear we may not be able to understand but he's still trying to use language.
And then are you able to shift how you work with him to work on getting him closer to words and
understand? Yes so we use that data also to set goals for the kids so if I have that child who was
who scored lower who wasn't having any interactions then I will plan to okay I'm gonna have a one-on-one
with this child. Maybe I'm gonna read more books with him I want him to name I'm gonna ask him
what does he see in the book so I can get those words out of him. Okay so when you do the coaching
what do you get I mean you've been through this now enough times are there still new things you're
learning from coaching? Yes I'm learning new techniques so every time we have a meeting about Lina
we'll go in looking at book and then they'll have resources for us to use so it's always
something new that I can implement in my classroom. Okay now we saw when the kids were first putting
on their vest that was their first interaction right? First. So what's that like for them to have to
how do you approach that of like letting them this is what we're gonna do? Yes so I just like
to introduce introduce it to them show them what it is talk about what it does and then I like to
give them an option I don't want to force it on them because that can have a negative impact so I
always give them the choice do you want to put this on everybody else is gonna put it on we can
put it on together and then you know if they're okay with it we put it on if they're not I give
them time because once they see everybody else wearing it nine times out of ten they're gonna
want and put one on two. We saw one of the kids say that he was a superhero cape right? Yes
we do we do things like that too to get them engaged with it sometimes we give them stickers
to put on it to decorate it because they're kind of playing so you want to make an interest thing
for them and like he said yeah we'll say oh this is a superhero cape or a costume or something you
know to get them motivated and as far as how long will they wear it throughout a day once
they're used to it they'll wear it pretty much until they go home okay so it's capturing that full
range yes all right yes and as far as the device I mean they saw some of them kind of playing
with it like they just get used to it right like they do yeah in the beginning they like to um
try to open it and see what's in there because you can feel that there's a little box in there
so they like to um explore their look inside some do eventually not have to take it out but
you know once you just keep explaining to them they get used to it so part of the the look of
this story is talking about the number of kids coming out of covid with language delays what have
you seen in the last few years in your classroom well I have seen kind of a decrease in language
I know I understand that kids you know during covid they were at home so they probably didn't get
a lot of communication happening you know parents were probably working from home they could have
been in the house with siblings so um and technology technology use has grew so much so they're more
into the tablets the phones and not necessarily talking to people so I have noticed that decline
so in the classroom we just try to focus a lot on communicating vocabulary words we use books we
try to stay away from technology and how much of it is just simple like look me and watch my lips
and I mean are you trying to emphasize when you're talking to them yes because a lot of it is just
talking especially at this age so we talk so much you talk we have to talk them through routines
like I want you to go in the bathroom I want you to wash your hands I need you to do this
so yes we are talking and we I pause so I want them to know I want you to talk to me I want you
to respond to what I'm saying so we give them that eye contact so yes we're teaching them how to
communicate how closely related from your perspective is a delay in language versus with behavior
issues where kid can't communicate and sometimes express themselves in other ways it's closely
related because that's where those behaviors make them from if you have a child who cannot
express what he wants or needs and he can't get that across to you he may do other behaviors to
get your attention or if you have a child let's say he wants a toy that another child has he can't
simply say can I use that he'll just go take it and then that'll cause you know a problem with the
other child or the child who has the toy taken from them they can't say hey I was using that
they'll start screaming or praying so when you are able to work on these things and give kids more
of those tools do you are you able to see the change in the kids or is that kind of happened
out like sometimes they say well a teacher never gets to see the results of their own success I
actually do so the more I'm consistent with it I do see that change even if it's maybe weeks later
like I still know that they're they're understanding and you will see less of the behaviors less of
the the crying attachments because they're getting words to use when you think of this is a an
issue that's happening not just here but across the country do you think that other teachers in
classrooms and schools everywhere have enough resources to deal with this increase that the real
number of kids that are having these issues realistically I don't think that you know teachers all over
the world do I think it's something that they do need though they need more resources because
you know technology is taking over and I feel like that's taking away the language and communication
of children because it's so popular now so I think teachers do need those tools in the classroom
if you had advice for parents I mean it should they be monitoring how often I mean it's pretty
kind of used to be and you say well they just plop in front of the TV not let you hand them a
smartphone right right I do think that parents need to be mindful but then I also feel like
parents don't really know what else to do at home with their children so it's it's a good thing
like here at next door we stay at home activities so that's you know something that parents can
do with their children at home and they don't just have to put them in front of a TV or give
them a tablet to use. Anything else that you want to add along these lines? I just want to say
that language development in children is very important I know we focus a lot on social
emotional at this age but if we're not giving them the tools to be able to communicate their
wants and their needs they won't they won't be able to be successful socially.
Excellent can I get you to see and spell your name and give your title?
Okay my name is Shakita Caldwell S-H-A-K-E-D-A
Caldwell C-A-L-D-W-E-L-L and I am a lead teacher in early head start at next door.
All right thank you much that was wonderful.
Oh my gosh.
You might want to share some of the feedback that you got from parents in terms of the difference
that you see as you know like say maybe the start of the year and the end of the year.
Okay so well some parents have noticed like I've had children who talk
kind of not a lot and then by the end of the year the parents and teachers we all notice
the increase in that language development and then when I go to the Lena meetings I'm
able to tell the parents hey this week it captured him talking 25 times in the hours.
That's probably one of those you know emotional moments for parents to see like their kid make
that much progress right. Yes yes it's awesome. And then to have the actual data behind it too
it's not just it feels like they're making progress. Right like I'm not just saying we're
talking more the data is showing that hey he is talking more.
That's great. Thank you so much. Sure.
Why is this so important to me? Why is it important that you send kids out in the world
that are able to communicate and advocate for themselves? Because this is personal.
Yeah I think it's really important because we're shaping children at this age. We're shaping
who they will become and we have to give them the proper tools that they may not get outside
of these doors and communication is a big thing. Some people they don't learn great communication
or it's not giving to them so it's my job as a teacher to give that to the kids so that they
can go out into the world and communicate properly for themselves.
I think we'll let you get back to your classroom. Oh thank you.
So is it do you get to nap with the kids at midnight? Oh no fortunately no. No. I wish.