Small Magic

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Small Magic (formerly Birmingham Talks, styled bhmtalks) is an early learning program serving families and childcare providers in Birmingham. Its administrative offices are located on the 3rd floor of the Forbes Building at 1914 4th Avenue North. Ruth Ann Moss is the executive director.

The program aims to improve brain development in young children, especially those living in poverty, by promoting verbal interaction. It offers a "curriculum" for parents and caregivers, aiming to cultivate an environment where children hear at least 21,000 words per day. The concept was informed by research conducted by Betty Hart and Todd Risley, concluding that a "word gap" disadvantages children in low-income families. Their research also influenced the Clinton Foundation's "Too Small to Fail" initiative in 2014.

Birmingham Talks was modeled after "Providence Talks", a program developed in Providence, Rhode Island which won a grand prize at Bloomberg Philanthropies’ 2013 Mayors Challenge. Jared Weinstein‎'s Overton Project worked with the Birmingham Mayor's Office Division of Youth Services to tailor it for local implementation. It was partially funded, along with similar efforts in four other cities, by Bloomberg Philanthropies, through its "What Works Cities" initiative.

The program was launched in October 2019 with 2,500 participants up to 3 years old. To provide metrics for individual coaching, children wear a "word pedometer", a digital device manufactured by LENA of Louisville, Colorado, that counts the number of words spoken nearby. The Nurse-Family Partnership-of Central Alabama and Jefferson County Committee for Economic Opportunity participated in implementation, while UAB researchers evaluated the program's effectiveness.

In 2022 the Birmingham City Council approved a $1 million proposal to expand the program and fund it for three more years. The city's investment was leveraged by $3 million in grants from the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education, the Altec / Styslinger Foundation, the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, and the Mike & Gillian Goodrich Foundation.

Birmingham Talks relocated to its present offices from the Highland Point Plaza building at 1224 20th Street South in Five Points South. The organization adopted its present name in February 2024.

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