Starling counts the number of words a young child is exposed to

VersaMe today announced the public availability of the Starling – a innovative wearable that counts the number of words exchanged between parents and caregivers and young children.

You may not be aware that speaking with your baby from birth can impact their trajectory for life. Even before your child can verbalize thoughts, their brain is busy processing language.

Researchers from top universities like Stanford have been documenting how verbal engagement affects brain development, and the findings are remarkable. Apparently, the number of words a child hears before age four is the single biggest predictor of their future success. This is the period when 83% of brain growth occurs. Which means every opportunity you have to talk to your baby is a chance to help them succeed.

The Starling is a star shaped device that tracks the number of words your baby hears and says each day. The wearable clips to your little one’s clothes in the morning and stays there until bedtime when you can pop it back into its charging dock.

”Every parent wants to give their child the best start in life and the best way to do that is to consistently engage with them through talking, reading and singing,” said Nicki Boyd, Founder of VersaMe.

“The Starling is the only way to help parents make sure they’re consistently feeding their baby enough words.”

Most parents overestimate how much they talk to their children. The Starling processes audio signals from verbal engagements, turning them into data that tells parents exactly how many words their baby is exposed to. At any time, simply pressing the Starling’s button will let you know if you’ve hit your daily or weekly target yet, with a blinking red or green light.

“Success as an adult depends on having verbal and quantitative skills,” said Stanford Psychology Professor Anne Fernald.

“Long before they [children] are showing signs of using language, they are figuring out a lot about it and need to hear it for this learning to emerge. Words are the best nutrition for a baby’s brain.”

Paired with its smart-phone app, the Starling gives you personalized information, analytics, and activities to make sure your child is on track to reach their full potential. All parents need to do is verbally engage with their babies.

And don’t worry. Starling doesn’t record anything you say – it simply counts words as they pass by. Even though your baby won’t remember it, you are the most important factor in their language development.

The Starling is made from medical-grade BPA-free plastic and the battery lasts five days between charges.

View on Amazon.

Like this article? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and never miss out!