Birmingham Talks

80% of a baby’s brain develops before they turn 3 -- and babies need to hear approximately 21,000 words a day for optimal brain development. Insufficient exposure to words and language (known as “the word gap”) profoundly hinders kindergarten readiness, particularly for children impacted by poverty. Birmingham Talks’ mission is to close the word gap and to ensure that every child in our community enters kindergarten fully prepared to succeed. Our signature programs utilize cutting edge technology (a “fitbit for words”) and personalized coaching to increase interactive talk between babies and their caregivers, which in turn increases school readiness. Birmingham Talks launched in 2019, in partnership with the City of Birmingham Mayor’s Office and seeded by Bloomberg Philanthropies. For more information, visit bhmtalks.org.