Text Message Reminders + Literacy Promotion for Childhood Language Development
What You Need to Know Before You Apply
What is the purpose of this trial?
This trial explores how text message reminders and access to community resources can boost language and social skills in low-income Latino children. The study compares three approaches: standard literacy promotion (usual care including ROR), literacy promotion with added text messages, and literacy promotion with both text messages and community resource connections. It seeks caregivers of Latino children aged 6 to 12 months who are open to receiving text messages and have a cell phone. The trial aims to determine if these interventions can impact early childhood development. As an unphased trial, it offers a unique opportunity to contribute to innovative research that could enhance early childhood development strategies.
Will I have to stop taking my current medications?
The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.
Is there any evidence suggesting that this trial's treatments are likely to be safe?
Research has shown that using text messages as reminders is generally safe and effective. Studies have found that text reminders can help parents keep up with vaccinations without any safety issues. For instance, parents who received text reminders were more likely to vaccinate their children. This indicates that text messaging is not only safe but also a useful tool for improving health.
Connecting families with community resources aims to make it easier for them to access support services. This approach helps create better environments for children by providing families with the assistance they need. There are no safety concerns with this method; it primarily focuses on improving access to resources.
Overall, both text messaging and connecting with community resources are safe methods that have shown positive effects in other situations. They are designed to support families without introducing any new risks.12345Why are researchers excited about this trial?
Researchers are excited about this trial because it explores innovative ways to boost childhood language development using technology and community support. Unlike the standard practice of promoting literacy through programs like Reach Out and Read (ROR), this trial includes sending regular text message reminders to parents, which helps reinforce the importance of language activities at home. Furthermore, one arm of the trial connects families to a centralized system for accessing community resources, potentially reducing barriers related to poverty. This comprehensive approach not only supports literacy but also addresses broader socio-economic challenges, offering a holistic solution that could significantly enhance children's language skills.
What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could be effective for childhood language development?
Studies have shown that text message reminders, one of the interventions in this trial, can greatly improve early reading skills in children, especially in low-income areas. These messages provide parents with tips to help them read with their kids. Another intervention connects families to local resources, which research indicates boosts children's language and social skills. These resources help create a supportive environment for learning and growth. Together, these methods, as tested in this trial, aim to effectively strengthen young children's reading and language abilities.12367
Who Is on the Research Team?
Manuel E Jimenez, MD, MS
Principal Investigator
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?
This study is for Latino/a/x primary caregivers, aged 18 or older, who speak English or Spanish and own a cell phone. They must care for a child between 6-12 months old and be willing to receive texts and join one of three study groups. It's not for those planning to leave their pediatric clinic soon, unable to consent, or with children having certain congenital/genetic disorders.Inclusion Criteria
Exclusion Criteria
Timeline for a Trial Participant
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
Treatment
Participants receive literacy promotion interventions, including Reach Out and Read (ROR), tailored outreach text messages, and enhanced access to community resources
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for language and social-emotional skill acquisition, as well as other outcomes
Long-term Follow-up
Continued monitoring of child development outcomes and caregiver engagement
What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?
Interventions
- Connection to community resources
- Text messages
- Usual care including ROR
Trial Overview
The trial examines if special text messages combined with access to resources that reduce poverty can boost language and social skills in low-income Latino children when added to standard literacy promotion in primary care.
How Is the Trial Designed?
3
Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
In addition to ROR and text messages, participants will be referred to a county-based single point of entry system for referrals to community resources. This system simplifies access to poverty-reducing resources by creating a centralized access point, maintaining an updated data base of resources with existing capacity to support families, and providing case management.
In addition to ROR, participants will receive three text messages per week, plus one interactive follow-up message per month, for the study period with scheduled breaks.
Literacy promotion is a pediatric standard of care. Participants in this group will receive usual care that includes ROR, a primary care literacy promotion intervention.
Find a Clinic Near You
Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Lead Sponsor
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Collaborator
Citations
Effects of Early Literacy Promotion on Child Language ...
Overall 82% of early literacy promotion participants received books/counseling at well visits <6 months old. Children in the early literacy promotion arm had ...
Effectiveness of a coordinated community effort to promote ...
The purpose of this study is to report on the effectiveness of a coordinated, community-wide intervention to promote early literacy behaviors with low-income ...
3.
odphp.health.gov
odphp.health.gov/healthypeople/priority-areas/social-determinants-health/literature-summaries/early-childhood-development-and-educationEarly Childhood Development and Education
Children from communities with higher socioeconomic status and more resources experience safer and more supportive environments and better early education ...
Partnering with Families for Early Language and Literacy
Research demonstrates that family support for language and literacy activities at home is positively related to children's outcomes, including reading ...
Investigation of the effectiveness of a community-based ...
Using longitudinal growth curve modeling, we found significant growth in weekly estimates in adult language input to children, conversational turn-taking, and ...
Early Literacy
Research has shown that reading together with infants and young children significantly strengthens their relationships with parents and caregivers.
7.
zerotothree.org
zerotothree.org/resource/a-window-to-the-world-early-language-and-literacy-development/A Window to the World: Early Language and Literacy ...
Positive early language and literacy development can give children a window to the world, helping to ensure that each child can seize his or her potential for ...
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