The Word Gap? What is it and how do we go about closing it? Perhaps you've heard it referred to as the 30-million word gap . It's a catchphrase that's been circulating for years. But what does it really mean? The phrase itself originated from a landmark study done over 25 years ago that compared the language development and reading achievement of children from different socioeconomic backgrounds. The researchers observed a large group of 7-month-old babies for one hour per day for two and a half years, until the children reached three years old. Everything the baby heard or said was recorded. ALL words were counted, duplicates and all. The results were shocking. Youngsters growing up in more well-off homes heard 30-million more words over two and a half years than those living in poorer households. They also heard these words in a more conversational style compared to children in less well-to-do homes. There was also a strong link between household income and s