Tips by Text

Providing early childcare support and education

Developed by Dr. Susanna Loeb of Brown University, Tips by Text is a set of evidence-based text-messaging programs designed to help parents, caregivers, and educators support their children’s early development. The texting program breaks down the complexity of parenting and caregiving into small, achievable steps, and provides continuous support and reinforcement. The program is designed for parents of preschool-age children to help them prepare children for kindergarten by focusing on early literacy, math and social-emotional development.

Until recently, Tips by Text has not been tested in a clinic setting. Drs. Lisa Chamberlain and Janine Bruce recently conducted a RCT in a local federally qualified health center to examine the impact of Tips by Text early literacy text messages on preschool-aged children not enrolled in preschool

Intervention

How we implemented the program in a clinical setting

Parents of 3 and 4-year-olds at SCVMC were enrolled in a randomized-control trial with a 9-month SR texting intervention that included 3 texts per week (Ex. texts below). Parents were randomized into intervention (received texts) or control groups (no texts).

Examples of some of the messages sent through text:

Outcomes

Measuring outcomes post-intervention

To measure outcomes of the implementation of the intervention methods, we conducted surveys (Parent child interaction inventory -- PCI ) and literacy screenings (Phonological awareness and literacy screening for preschoolers -- PALS-PreK ). These methods were supplemented with Parent Focus groups that intended to gauge parent experience with the program.

Preliminary Findings

What changes did the program influence?

Early finding suggest that this clinic-based text messaging intervention can increase child literacy among 4-year-olds and promote greater parent engagement in early learning activities at home. 

Questions about Tips By Text?

Contact : Lisa Chamberlain (lchamberlain@stanford.edu), Medical Director or Janine Bruce (jbishop@stanford.edu) , Program Director