NHSA-HEAD-START-LANGUAGE-PLAYBOOK.PDF

The Head Start
Language Playbook

Table of Contents
Section 1: Introduction 3
• Foreword from Head Start Leadership 4
• How to Use This Book 5
• The Communication Context 6
• Pre-Communication Questions 9
Section 2: Communicating Our Mission 11
• Introducing Head Start: Our Mission Statement 12
• A Closer Look at the Mission Statement 13
• More Language That Brings Our Mission to Life 15
Section 3: Tailoring Our Message 17
• Communicating to Different Audiences 18
• Dos and Don’ts for Responding to Criticism 25
Section 4: Sharing Stories about Head Start 27
• Telling a Powerful Story 28
• Incorporating Statistics and Data 30
Section 5: Resource Library 33
• Summary of Words to Use and Words to Lose 34
Section 6: Wrap-Up 36
2 The Head Start Language Playbook

Section 1
introduction
The Head Start Language Playbook 3

Foreword from Head Start Leadership
To our Head Start family,
When people tell us that they’ve been involved with Head Start for 5, 10, or even 20 years,
that fills us with pride. We are grateful to be part of this passionate, driven, diverse community
doing such important work.
Every day, Head Start provides essential services for hundreds of thousands of children from
birth to age five. We partner with countless parents, teachers, and community members to
understand how we can support them and their communities. And together, all of us at Head
Start are creating meaningful, measurable change.
Research shows that Head Start delivers a clear advantage for students who participate in
our program as they prepare for kindergarten and beyond. They are more likely to graduate
high school, attend college, and receive a post-secondary degree, license, or certification than
children who don’t participate in Head Start. Learning alongside you, they gain the confidence,
resilience, and persistence that will carry them through life. On top of that, the parents of Head
Start children who we partner with are more likely to read with their children, continue their
own education, and be strong advocates for their children’s education.
Results like these aren’t something we take lightly. They’re a reflection of the incredible work
you do, and they paint a picture of why Head Start matters. You’ve probably heard questions
from someone outside Head Start about who we are and how we make an impact. Building a
greater understanding of what we do has never been more challenging—or more important.
Today we’re taking a step to help share our Head Start story. The Head Start Language
Playbook you’re reading is filled with words that work, words that don’t work, and why. We’ve
designed it to equip all staff with tools for talking about who we are and what we do. When we
share our story in language that more people can understand and get on board with, we have
more successful conversations. More successful conversations mean more understanding of
our work, and more support for children who participate in Head Start. When we coordinate
our efforts, we can all achieve more.
4 The Head Start Language Playbook

How to Use This Book
What am I reading?
The Language Playbook you are reading is designed to help Head Start staff have better, more
effective conversations about our mission with the public. Though the people you speak with
may have varying degrees of experience with Head Start, the following recommendations and
“words that work” are designed to resonate with the broadest possible audience. Whether
you’re talking to a parent or a policymaker, we hope you’ll find the tips in this book helpful.
Where did the recommendations come from?
These recommendations are based on messaging research with Head Start practitioners. The
research sessions were conducted in Spring 2018 with staff from a range of backgrounds,
roles, tenure, and geographic regions. The goal of the messaging research was to hear how
we talk about our mission today, and understand what obstacles or misperceptions we face
when talking to the public.
How do I use this Playbook?
That part is up to you! The Playbook is intended to be a resource for you whenever you are
communicating about Head Start’s mission—who we are, and what we do. At the end of this
document, we’ve included a summary of key words that work and words that don’t work, for
when you need a quick reference to turn to.
You will see a series of call-out icons throughout:
Belittling Alert: Language that sounds
condescending, like we’re talking down to
someone, or like we’re taking too much credit
and could potentially turn someone off
Buzzword Alert: Language that may be
familiar within Head Start, but confusing
to others
Alienating Alert: Language that is inherently
negative and alienating, and could be replaced
with something more positive
The Head Start Language Playbook 5

The Communication Context
If we had to sum up this Playbook in one sentence, it would be: as we communicate about
Head Start, what our audience believes matters. It’s important to consider the ideas,
questions, and perceptions someone might bring to the table as they hear from Head Start.
How much do they know about what we do? Is there something we can say that might surprise
them? When we put ourselves in our audience’s shoes, we’re that much more effective. And
the better we communicate our message with our audience’s truth in mind, the more we can
tell a clear story that represents all that Head Start does.
In our messaging research, we heard from Head Start practitioners that there are strengths of
Head Start some people aren’t aware of. There are also misperceptions or questions many of
us have heard time and time again. When we adjust the words and phrases we use, we strike a
chord with more people in more ways.
Findings Snapshot
What We Heard in the Spring 2018 Messaging Research
Every person’s approach to talking about Head Start and every person’s experience
is a bit different. But we were struck by the commonalities we heard in the
2018 messaging research. Across roles and perspectives and regions, we heard
many similarities about the strengths of Head Start that matter to us as a
community, and areas of skepticism we address. Next page is a brief look at themes
we heard for each of those topics.
6 The Head Start Language Playbook

Findings Strengths we want to
Snapshot highlight
Our comprehensive approach. We’re not
just working with children—we’re also working Our inclusive,
with parents and communities. On top of that, supportive
many members of the public aren’t aware that our mindset. We have a
process is individualized for each child, family, and deep respect for each
community. child, parent, and
teacher we support.
“ The thing I love is that it’s not a prescriptive process Our role isn’t to swoop
that says you have to follow this trajectory. It changes in and lead—
and morphs and each child gets individualized, it’s to serve as a
comprehensive services from start to finish.” supportive partner.
“ We take families
where they are. Not
Head Start Practitioner where any of us think
they should be.”
Our commitment to
Head Start Practitioner
continuous improvement.
We are constantly learning from
each other, and bringing the best
Our focus on the “whole child.”
ideas forward to make every Head
We’re not just teaching children the basics
Start classroom even more robust.
of early education to prepare them for
school. We’re teaching them the basics to
“ It’s not just that we’re always
prepare them for life.
learning; we’re learning to respond.
Whatever collaboration we do is
geared to be able to respond to “ For me, that’s the difference between
an average state Pre-K program and Head
where we are, and the needs of our
Start. Most programs are not focusing on
current society. We’re flexible.”
the whole child.”
Head Start Practitioner
Head Start Practitioner
The Head Start Language Playbook 7

Findings Skepticism we may
Snapshot encounter
Isn’t Head Start daycare? With low Isn’t Head Start a poverty
familiarity about our comprehensive program? Head Start has
approach comes confusion about the continued to evolve since
exact role Head Start plays. our founding and we partner
with families from a range of
“ In our area, the educators in the backgrounds. Sometimes our
community understand. The school evolution isn’t widely recognized.
district and college understand. But And sometimes, there are just
for everyday people in town, their stigmas, plain and simple.
perception is that Head Start is for
daycare, not an education set-up.” “ Everyone filters Head Start through
their stereotypes of poor people.”
“ I am so tired of talking to Congress
Head Start Practitioner who think Head Start parents are
tired or lazy or don’t want to go to
work. 60% of parents at our center
How effective is Head Start are working.”
long-term? Every day, we see the
positive impact our work has for
families and communities. But we Head Start Practitioner
sometimes face questions about how
that impact carries over into the future.
“ People very much connect things to
the old research. We have a bunch of
people who will pop up and say ‘Well,
we heard that Head Start doesn’t work.’ We’ll explore questions and skepticism
I just had to get better at learning or we may encounter, and how to
understanding the research, saying overcome them, later in the Playbook.
this is what has now come out, to change
that perception.”
Head Start Practitioner
8 The Head Start Language Playbook

Pre-Communication Questions
Before you dive into a conversation or start writing, put yourself in your audience’s shoes.
The questions below will help you speak to their truth in a way that will resonate.
1. To ensure what you say is clear...
✓…how ✓ familiar is your audience with Head Start?
✓…what ✓ have they already heard or learned about our work?
✓…are ✓ there areas of confusion or misconceptions they have?
✓…is ✓ your message straightforward enough that your audience could repeat it back to
you?
2. To ensure what you say is engaging…
✓...based ✓ on what you know, which topics or issues matter most to your audience?
✓…is ✓ there a personal story you could include of someone who was impacted by
Head Start?
✓…what ✓ can you talk about that might surprise your audience in a good way?
3. To ensure what you say makes an impact...
✓…how ✓ do you want your audience to feel after their conversation with you?
✓…are ✓ you telling stories that your audience will care about?
✓…are ✓ you talking at your audience, or asking questions and keeping the dialogue
open?
✓…are ✓ you including a call to action, or something you want your audience to do?
The Head Start Language Playbook 9

10 The Head Start Language Playbook

Section 2
Communicating
Our Mission
The Head Start Language Playbook 11

Introducing Head Start:
Our Mission Statement
No Language Playbook would be complete without a mission statement. As an organization
engaged in the important, and ever-changing, conversation around early childhood education
and development, Head Start’s mission statement needs to anchor and guide our strategy for
what we want to accomplish in the future.
Mission statements can say a lot with a few words. For Head Start, it’s our way of showing what
makes us stand out, and gets straight to the heart of our passion and vision.
When you need to introduce Head Start in a sentence:
Head Start gives children from at-risk backgrounds the skills they need to be
successful in school and life—supporting more kids, families, and communities
on their path to success.
children from at-risk Defines who we help using words that inspire action: when
backgrounds children are at risk, we are called to support them
skills they need Signals that we’re delivering results: after participating in
Head Start, children leave with critical skills
school and life Shows we’re helping prepare Head Start children for
kindergarten and beyond
kids, families, and Speaks to our comprehensive model
communities
supporting their path to Sums up our mission in visual, vivid language
success
12 The Head Start Language Playbook

A Closer Look at the Mission Statement
There will also be opportunities to introduce who we are and what we do in a bit more detail.
Below is some language to keep in mind in those situations.
Head Start is a comprehensive early education program for children from at-
risk backgrounds from birth to age 5. From early math and reading skills to
confidence and resilience, we help children build the abilities they need to
be successful in school and life. Each Head Start program engages parents
as equal partners with their child’s teacher, and works closely with the local
community to adapt to what each area needs. Every child has the ability
to succeed, and together, we’re supporting more children, families, and
communities on their path to success.
comprehensive early Spells out exactly what we deliver, and combats the idea
education program that Head Start is “daycare”
from birth to age 5 Expands the population of children we serve, and connects
to the importance of early brain development
early math and reading
skills Defines our approach to readiness—
developing skills for school and for life
confidence and resilience
engages parents as equal Illustrates our comprehensive approach and raises
partners with their child’s awareness of the breadth of what we do
teacher
works closely with the Nods to how we constantly learn and innovate
local community to adapt
every child has the ability Expresses our social justice mission in language everyone
to succeed can get on board with
The Head Start Language Playbook 13

In our language research, we tested several potential descriptors for the people
Head Start serves, including “at-risk children” and “children at risk of being left
behind. However, we heard during discussions that practitioners were sensitive
to any language that unfairly labeled the children themselves, rather than their
life circumstances, which is why we recommend saying “children from at-risk
backgrounds.”
“ We are really concerned about labeling lower income families.
We don’t want those kids to be labeled because it’s not in their control.”
Head Start Practitioner
A note on metaphors
Some metaphors are stronger than others. We don’t want to sound paternalistic, or
use language that could potentially alienate key audiences we need support from.
If you say... Here’s the issue... Instead say...
Leveling the playing field “I have family in the Midwest Supporting more children,
who are well-to-do and they families, and communities on
would look down on that. their path to success
They’d say ‘Why should my
money go to benefit these
other kids? I want it to benefit
my own kids.’”
-Head Start Practitioner
14 The Head Start Language Playbook

More Language That Brings Our Mission
to Life
A mission statement is only as good as the examples it relies on. Below are key themes and
language that illustrate who we are, and what we do.
Bringing the Mission Statement to Life: Words That Work
✓✓Every neighborhood, school, and student is unique. At Head Start, we
don’t believe in a “one size fits all” solution.
Our comprehensive ✓✓Head Start offers locally-designed programs with feedback and input
approach from parents, teachers, and the community itself.
✓✓We believe in tailoring our approach based on what the community
wants from us, because our solutions should be as diverse as the
communities we serve.
✓✓At Head Start, we’re committed not just to the children we teach, but
Our inclusive, to their parents too.
supportive mindset ✓✓We help families address their immediate needs while giving them
support as they plan for future goals.
✓✓Today we have so much data about the importance of early childhood
development, like the fact that more than 90% of a child’s brain
develops from birth to age 4.
✓✓We know that students need healthy brains to learn, and if we don’t
Our focus on the help address difficult circumstances early in their lives, the impact on
“whole child” their educational outcomes later on is staggering.
✓✓We rely on a “whole child” approach, which means helping our
students develop socially, intellectually, and emotionally.
✓✓Head Start offers safe and nurturing spaces for them to learn.
✓✓We put promising ideas in front of children at the time in their lives
when it matters most.
✓✓Head Start is at our best when we apply an always-learning mindset.
✓✓As a community, we’re always learning from each other.
Our commitment ✓✓Our mission is to constantly innovate: to understand what’s working
to getting better and what’s not, so we can support more children, families, and
all the time communities on their path to success.
✓✓We also create classrooms where innovation and new approaches are
encouraged. Head Start provides a variety of personalized learning
experiences to help children grow and succeed academically.
The Head Start Language Playbook 15

✓✓Ensuring that every child has equal access to education can’t be done
by just one organization.
Our connections to ✓✓Even though our geographic reach puts us in a unique position to
national and local force positive change, we haven’t done it alone. We’re at our best
partners when we engage and partner with other organizations.
✓✓The future of this effort is bright, because there are many helping
hands and many voices working to push every student forward.
✓✓Head Start has been serving communities in need for over fifty years.
We’re proud of our heritage and of all the things we’ve learned. But as
Our future,
we look forward, our calling is clear: how do we continue improving,
rather than our past
and find new ways to help children and their families across the
nation?
A note on our comprehensive approach
Whenever we can, we should highlight the services we offer to both children and
parents. For children enrolled in Head Start programs, we help facilitate critical
health services like immunizations, and vision, dental, and hearing screenings.
For parents, we offer job training opportunities, and share information with
them about important child development milestones, so they learn more
ways to create encouraging home environments and enhance their
relationships with their children.
16 The Head Start Language Playbook

Section 3
Tailoring Our
Message
The Head Start Language Playbook 17

Communicating to Different Audiences
Remember that when we’re communicating about Head Start, different people bring different
perspectives to the table. Based on who you are, where you’re from, and what experiences
and awareness you have, you likely have a unique opinion on who Head Start is, and what
Head Start does.
Our mission statement is designed to work with the widest possible audience. That said, what
follows are some tips to keep in mind if you need to tailor your message for a particular audience.
When you’re speaking with someone who has never heard of Head Start…
1. Lean in to who we are and what we do.
Let our new mission statement do the work for you! By highlighting what we offer and
who we serve (page 13), we can let the Language Playbook serve as our guide.
2. Share your reason for being involved with Head Start.
Connecting on a personal level matters tremendously when we want to help people
understand the value of Head Start. Whether it’s an anecdote about a memorable
moment or achievement during your time at Head Start, or the reason you got involved
with Head Start in the first place, paint a picture that shows your passion for the work
you do.
“I felt like Head Start was the perfect fit for me. I believe in the mission so much.”
- Head Start Practitioner
“I’ve been with Head Start for almost 32 years. I’m a former parent of a Head Start child. For
me, what drives the work I do is that I can relate to the families we serve. I’ve been there.”
- Head Start Practitioner
“To me, it’s all about seeing the children introduced to so many new experiences. There’s a
local theater program, and we were invited to go. The children, and even their parents, were
looking around because it was their first time in a theater seeing a performance! To have them
share their stories of how the program has impacted them, it always moves me to tears.”
- Head Start Practitioner
18 The Head Start Language Playbook

When you’re speaking with a policymaker…
1. Start by telling a story about a person who Head Start has helped.
Head Start’s goal of helping at-risk children is something that virtually everyone can
get on board with. But in the ever-polarized environment of Capitol Hill, our elected
representatives need to hear more than just talking points about why our work matters.
They need to hear real-life stories about the day-to-day impact our work is having. Paint
a picture of a child or family who has personally benefited from Head Start—it provides
policymakers with an emotional connection, and a reason to care about our work.
“The stories matter. Those in Congress who like us already know the data.
Those who don’t like us won’t listen to data alone.”
- Head Start Practitioner
“I can go and brag about what we do at Head Start, but if I introduce a parent,
we have someone who can say: This is what we can help people do.
You can help more people like me.”
- Head Start Practitioner
2. Pair that story with a statistic or two.
After introducing a story, weave in a relevant data point to maximize the impact of your
message. Policymakers care about results—so when we use numbers to connect an
individual story to a broader trend, what we say becomes even more powerful.
“Before it used to be all about how we at Head Start felt.
But we can’t tell that story anymore.
Now we have to prove it.”
-Head Start Practitioner
For more tips on using data in your communication, check out
“Incorporating Statistics and Data” in Section 4.
The Head Start Language Playbook 19

3. Speak to your local area—you’re the expert!
Elected representatives know their states
and districts are all unique. So, when they
hear that Head Start takes the time and effort Examples of Words That Work
to truly understand what an area needs, it Head Start’s programs are locally-
underlines our flexible and comprehensive designed based on feedback from
approach. Give an example of how you’re parents, teachers, and the community
itself. For example, here in Providence,
catering to the local community when you Head Start connects families to health
speak with policymakers. If you’re able to services like immunizations, and vision,
dental, and hearing screenings.
highlight a story from constituents in their
state or district, that’s even better. We believe in wtailoring our approach
based on what the community wants
from us. Here in Contra Costa County,
we created a centralized kitchen where
4. Steer clear of language that’s polarizing. children get three servings of food per
day. The community we serve is very
ethnically diverse, and so are the dishes
Some words can be polarizing—they sound
we serve from Filipino chicken adobo, to
great to some people, but make others shut Caribbean food, and more.
down. With policymakers especially, language
like this can do more harm than good. To
have the greatest impact, it’s best to avoid
phrases they may hear as politically-charged.
If you say... To us, it feels... Here’s the issue... Instead, try...
“If you’re talking to Congress,
you can say ‘social justice’
and the reaction will depend
on what color tie they’re
wearing. Everything has to be
tailored based on who you’re Describe social
Social justice is a talking to.” justice, instead of
The phrase good thing! Doesn’t - Head Start Practitioner using the shorthand:
“social justice” everyone care about
social justice? “I’m looking at it from a Every child deserves
political lens. I work with a an opportunity to
philanthropist who’s all about succeed.
social justice, but we don’t
use that language.
But everyone will say they
want kids to succeed.”
- Head Start Practitioner
20 The Head Start Language Playbook

When you’re speaking with someone skeptical…
1. Start by acknowledging their questions.
Spreading the word can be frustrating when there are comments like this:
“I was able to go on local TV to do an interview.
And what was the first thing that came out of the person’s mouth?
‘Well, we heard that Head Start doesn’t work.’”
- Head Start Practitioner
Remember that no matter who you’re speaking to, it’s important to make sure your
audience feels heard. When speaking to a skeptic, start off by briefly summarizing the
question you are hearing from him or her. This shows you’re listening, and are open to
continuing the conversation.
Instead of... Try this...
I disagree. It sounds like you’re asking about ______.
That’s wrong. I’ve heard questions about ______ before.
Actually, research has shown I’m hearing that you’d like to talk more about
that… ________.
2. Pivot to tangible facts about Head Start.
After acknowledging the question, shift the conversation to facts about Head Start
and our impact. Share a stat about our history, or an example of the advantage that
Head Start participants gain. Starting with “it might surprise you to hear that…” injects a
positive tone and frames the conversation as an opportunity for both parties to learn.
The Head Start Language Playbook 21

Try this...
…Head Start has been in operation for over 50
years, and we’ve served more than 35 million
children across the country.
It might surprise …Head Start children are less likely to need
you to hear that… special education services and less likely to have
been held back a grade.
…Head Start children are more likely to graduate
high school, attend college, and receive a post-
secondary degree, license, or certification.
For even more examples of the results Head Start creates, check out
the yearly Head Start by the Numbers fact sheet.
3. End with an example of how you’re working toward the future.
It’s not just about where we’ve been in the past and where we are today; it’s about
where we’re going tomorrow. We can build credibility by signaling we’re continuing to
improve for the future. Ending with an example of how we are moving forward shows
we’ve heard and understood their questions, and are always working to improve.
Try this... Because...
Head Start has been serving communities in need
for over fifty years. We’re proud of our heritage
and of all the things we’ve learned. But as we look
forward, our mission is clear: how do we continue This language shows we’re
improving, and find new ways to help children and proud of our success, but we’re
their families? still continuing to challenge
ourselves and the status quo.
Our aim is to help make sure that every child in
America has an opportunity to succeed, and we’re
finding new ways to make this happen.
22 The Head Start Language Playbook

When you’re speaking with someone who qualifies for Head Start, but
thinks they don’t…
1. Acknowledge the perspective they bring to the table.
Parents want the best for their children, and it’s not always an easy pill to swallow that
despite their hard work to provide for their families, they could benefit from a little extra
help along the way. Be sensitive to their perspective, and highlight the ways in which
their children will benefit from Head Start.
2. Let them lead the way—don’t overshadow their role as parents.
Remember, parents want to know we’re listening to them. Don’t
assume what their needs are before they’ve voiced them to us.
If you say... Here’s the issue... Instead, try... Why it works...
“It sounds like we’re training
We’re here to... parents to be better parents. “We support parents.
...lead you That makes it seem like We partner with them.
...inform you low-income parents aren’t We’re here to
...offer you partner with you. They’re not broken.”
resources smart enough to know how to - Head Start Practitioner
parent.”
…serve you - Head Start Practitioner
To take language about partnership to the next level, talk about how
Head Start provides and connects parents to resources and tools they need to be
advocates for their children.
The Head Start Language Playbook 23

3. Avoid language that could be alienating.
When speaking with parents, be especially careful with how you describe
who the program is for. What’s most important isn’t what the family’s
income level is—it’s that the family’s children are eligible for Head Start.
If you say... Here’s the issue... Instead, try... If necessary...
We know Head Start is
Few people categorize perceived as a poverty
themselves by their eligible families or program. When possible,
low-income families income—and while we qualifying families we should avoid
know what “low-income” references to income.
means within Head Start, our However, if pressed,
audience may not. say income-eligible or
income-qualifying.
To broaden perspectives of who qualifies for Head Start, we shouldn’t just focus on
income as the main factor. There are other populations of children we serve:
✓children ✓ who are homeless (living with family members, such as grandparents,
who are not their custodial parents) or living in foster care (and importantly,
these children qualify for Head Start regardless of family income)
✓children ✓ with hearing, visual, speech, or language impairments
✓children ✓ with intellectual and learning disabilities, autism, or traumatic brain injuries
✓children ✓ with orthopedic impairments
4. Show them how they can get involved and benefit too!
We know that parents can play a huge role inside the classroom, so be sure to highlight
the many opportunities they have to be physically present in their child’s Head Start
center – whether it’s volunteering in the classroom, engaging in parent council
meetings, or participating at parent leadership retreats. You can even talk about how
over 100,000 parents advanced their own education in 2017 because their children
were enrolled in Head Start.
24 The Head Start Language Playbook

Dos and Don’ts FOR RESPONDING TO
CRITICISM.
Below are some dos and don’ts to keep in mind when responding to criticism. Let them be
your roadmap for how to answer tough questions in the community.
1. The misperception: Head Start doesn’t work.
✓DO ✓ point to our expertise by mentioning how long Head Start has existed.
✓DO ✓ share a story about someone who has benefited from Head Start.
✓DO ✓ start with phrases like “it might surprise you to learn…”
U U DON’T overwhelm them with facts.
U U DON’T use a defensive tone.
2. The misperception: Head Start is too expensive.
U U DON’T emphasize Head Start’s PRICE.
✓DO ✓ shift the focus of the conversation to Head Start’s VALUE, and the investment we
make in students to help them succeed in school and life.
U U DON’T use words like “federally funded,” which raise questions about quality.
3. The misperception: Head Start is daycare.
✓DO ✓ highlight the impact Head Start has both inside AND outside of the classroom.
✓DO ✓ underline that we help both children and families.
✓DO ✓ showcase the social, emotional, and intellectual skills children acquire.
U U DON’T fall into the trap of educating your audience on the range of early childhood
education options that are out there.
4. The misperception: Head Start is a poverty program.
✓DO ✓ emphasize that most Head Start parents are working—many in minimum
wage-paying jobs.
✓DO ✓ show how Head Start benefits parents too.
U U DON’T use the phrase “low-income”—it just reinforces stereotypes.
✓DO ✓ talk about income eligibility, and other ways families qualify for Head Start.
The Head Start Language Playbook 25

26 The Head Start Language Playbook

Section 4
Sharing Stories
about Head Start
The Head Start Language Playbook 27

Telling a Powerful Story
One of the best ways to spread the word about Head Start is to tell a story about the impact
we’ve had for a child or a family. But some ways of telling those stories are more likely to break
through than others. For the story to truly strike a chord, it should tell your audience something
about an individual and something about Head Start more broadly.
Below are some essential elements of effective Head Start stories. This is by no means a rigid
formula, or a strict order to follow. Instead, it’s a starting point to build on as you tell the story in
an order and form that feels best to you.
The Essential Ingredients
Who the story is about:
Introduce the hero of the story. Is this about an individual person? A family? An organization?
Can you paint a picture of who they are?
For example: Last year we partnered with a group of Head Start parents in Ohio.
How Head Start was involved:
What was Head Start’s role? How did we partner with this person, family, organization, etc.?
Was there something special or different about Head Start’s approach this time? Did we partner
with another organization or person to make something happen?
For example: The parents who we partnered with in Ohio were nominated by their
communities to be part of our Parent Ambassador program, where Head Start provides a
week of personal growth training and public speaking skills.
28 The Head Start Language Playbook

What the impact or result was:
What was the change from before Head Start was involved, to after? What specifics or details
happened that made that change clear? How did we support the person, family, or community?
For example: Later in the year, the Ohio Parent Ambassadors traveled to Capitol Hill, where
they shared their stories with members of Congress and made their voices heard.
Why this story relates to a broader narrative about Head Start:
Does this story connect to a piece of our mission, like helping prepare children for school and
life or tailoring our approach to each community where we work? What does this story say
about who we help? Why is that important?
For example: This story is just one example of how Head Start opens new windows of
opportunity for parents. In fact, 60% of our workforce are past or current Head Start parents
who are continuing their education.
Inspiration for other stories we could tell
Consider sharing stories like:
How your program is implementing new tools or technology to help children learn…
How your program plays a role in the local community with job fairs,
family goal-setting, and more…
How a parent of a Head Start child got involved in a school, ultimately continuing their
education and/or becoming part of the program leadership…
How events like family literacy night, math night, and science night
bring families together and provide resources for parents
to be actively engaged in their child’s education…
The Head Start Language Playbook 29

Incorporating Statistics and Data
To really make your story shine, weave in a data point that connects your individual story to a
larger whole. Below are some suggestions of statistics that work—and some statistics that are
even more effective.
A good statistic: A better statistic: Here’s why:
Head Start students are more
Stick to the positive wherever
Head Start children reduce likely to graduate high school,
possible—instead of talking
their vocabulary deficit by attend college, and receive
about what’s reduced, talk
38% during the program year. a post-secondary degree,
about what children gain.
license, or certification.
Head Start serves 1 million
children from birth to age 5 Sometimes two statistics are
Head Start serves more than in the U.S. at a critical time in better than one—especially
1 million children in the U.S. their lives. More than 90% of when they are stats that are
a child’s brain develops from hard to argue with, like these.
birth to age 4.
Every child in a Head Start Put the statistic in context
A single Head Start program classroom will be fed each to help your audience fully
can feed thousands of day—for some, the only meals understand what we’re
children a day. they will eat that day. delivering.
In 2017, we served over
600,000 children ages 3 to 5 Put the 31% of children we
across 57,000 classrooms – HAVE served in context of
31% of eligible children ages 3 and we’re still growing! Our what that number represents
to 5 attend Head Start. goal is to help serve every – and what opportunities we
eligible child and family who have in the future.
could benefit from Head Start
programs and services.
30 The Head Start Language Playbook

As an organization, our language should focus on ALL the children we serve, from
birth to age 5, to highlight the holistic impact we have throughout early childhood.
That means we should move away from segmenting the children we serve
based on their age (i.e., not talking about just children ages 3 to 5), and instead
focus on the impact we have from an early age on a child’s brain development
and their ability to learn.
Other Ways to Spotlight our Impact
An area we don’t get enough credit for is how we stimulate and drive economic growth
in the communities we serve. Nearly 240,000 people are employed in Head Start centers
nationwide.*
We not only employ members of the community to work at our centers, whether they’re
teachers, professional and administrative staff, or maintenance crews, but we contract with
local service providers, like construction companies, plumbers, or electricians, to keep our
buildings operating smoothly. The more people who are gainfully employed or provided with
new business opportunities, the more that community, top to bottom, can thrive economically.
There’s another important way we help stimulate economic growth: We help parents and
their work or class schedules without worrying about whether their children have a safe and
stimulating environment to be taught in and cared for.
In recent years, Head Start programs have been moving in the direction of extending their
services to provide all-day, year-round care for children. The benefits are two-fold: we can
spend more time providing high-quality learning experiences to children, and we help parents
manage their work or class schedules.
*This is inclusive of all staff—not just teachers—family service workers, bus drivers, finance officers,etc. are in this total
number.
The Head Start Language Playbook 31

32 The Head Start Language Playbook

Section 5
Resource
Library
The Head Start Language Playbook 33

Summary of Words to Use and
Words to Lose
Consider keeping this summary handy as a reference guide whenever you are preparing to
share a story about Head Start or tell someone about our mission.
Our mission, in a nutshell.
Head Start gives children from at-risk backgrounds the skills they need to be
successful in school and life—supporting more kids, families, and communities
on their path to success.
children from at-risk Defines who we help using words that inspire action: when
backgrounds children are at risk, we are called to support them.
skills they need Signals that we’re delivering results: after participating in
Head Start, children leave with critical skills.
school and life Shows we’re helping prepare Head Start children for
kindergarten and beyond.
kids, families, and Speaks to our comprehensive model.
communities
supporting their path to Sums up our mission in visual, vivid language.
success
34 The Head Start Language Playbook

KeyWords to Use and lose
Instead of saying this… Say this...
We’re here to lead you / inform you / We’re here to partner with you
offer you resources
Low-income families Income-eligible families
Supporting more children, families, and
Leveling the playing field
communities on their path to success
Every child deserves
Social justice
an opportunity to succeed
Head Start is a free program Head Start is an investment that helps all
students be ready for school
Head Start is federally funded
Head Start is at our best when we apply an
Innovative laboratories
always-learning mindset
Head Start programs ensure children
No matter where receive vision, hearing, and other health
Head Start programs operate, screenings and referrals; require degrees
they all meet our and credentials for teaching staff; and
national standards mandate professional development and
coaching for lead and assistant teachers
Head Start students are more likely to
Head Start children reduce their graduate high school, attend college, and
vocabulary deficit by 38% during the receive a post-secondary degree, license,
program year or certification
The Head Start Language Playbook 35

Section 6
wrap up
Thank you for reading!
The goal of this project was to help Head Start programs across the country better
communicate our value to families, communities, and policymakers, and to build important
partnerships. This Language Playbook will allow us to grow public awareness and support for
Head Start’s mission, and is a vital component of the tools we need to have these important
conversations. Later this year, NHSA will offer webinars and in-person trainings to engage our
practitioners in how to use the Language Playbook and other tools we will create to tell the
Head Start story.
We hope this information is useful for you and your Head Start colleagues now and in the
future when communicating the many benefits of who we are and what we do. We look
forward to continuing to advance our mission together, and hearing your feedback on other
ways we can better help you and your programs.
To learn more, please visit www.nhsa.org/languageplaybook.
36 The Head Start Language Playbook


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