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LENA in Tennessee


Making every interaction count and transforming children's futures

LENA (Language ENvironment Analysis) is a national nonprofit on a mission to transform children's futures through early talk technology and data-driven programs. LENA works with a wide range of partner organizations to boost early brain development and improve school readiness for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.

LENA Grow offers evidence-based professional development for infant, toddler, and preschool teachers.
LENA Start builds school readiness and strengthens families with parent-group classes.
LENA SP offers reliable, detailed language environment data in research and clinical applications.




In the BrightStartTN Clearinghouse, LENA Grow is an evidence-based and informed model for technical assistance and training and is an approved strategy for ECE Workforce Development, aligned with high quality care and education ages 0-5, positive early care and education climate, and social emotional health. The BrightStart TN Clearinghouse also lists LENA Start as an approved Family/Teacher Engagement Strategy, aligned with positive parent/child interaction, reading with children, and supports for families.

LENA Grow professional development hours count toward the required annual training hours for Tennessee child care licensing when documented in the TNPAL system. LENA Grow satisfies the 3-hour Pre-Literacy and Literacy Skills and Education Implementation requirement.

LENA also has crosswalks with Head Start, CLASS, The Pyramid Model, ZERO TO THREE, and more!

Explore our national crosswalks and partnerships!





 Staff Member
"The TN CCR&R sees the LENA Grow program as an important piece of the puzzle in proper language and socio-emotional development for children in Tennessee. The specialization training will not only better equip educators to deal with challenges in the classroom, but these educators will also be eligible for the AIMHiTN Endorsement upon completion.”
Heather Hicks
Director of the TN Child Care Resource & Referral Network

Interested in bringing LENA to your community?

Whether you're with a library, school district, CCR&R, state agency, university-community partnership, public health initiative, or any other organization dedicated to improving early childhood outcomes, we invite you to learn more about bringing LENA to your community.

 Staff Member

Connect with Amy Marciniak,
Senior Regional Partnerships Director, Tennessee
AmyMarciniak@LENA.org


 Staff Member
"Using LENA helps us to meet our school readiness goals, and it helps teachers engage in conversations with parents on what the data is saying, make suggestions, and provide resources to extend the learning at home."
TaWanda Payton
Early Head Start Instructional Coach at Porter-Leath in Memphis