The presentation describes background and results of a project applying practice-embedded educational research, building on collaboration between academics and practitioners when implementing a shared reading intervention in early childhood education.

The project adopted a technical-eclectic theoretical framework which is suitable in early childhood special education, evidence-based interventions and professional development: theories on child development through proximal processes, the role of vocabulary in language development, implementation science, and practice-based coaching. 

The intervention was based on the needs identified by practitioners that wanted to support effectively language development, and on knowledge from previous research. The method of dialogic book reading was selected, examined and piloted during a training period, over the course of several months. Then a cluster randomized controlled trial was carried out in nine preschools with 10 teachers and 85 children, of which 68 % were additional language learners. The trial was supported by interventionist preschool teachers with coaching by special educators. Reading session in small groups were carried out every day for five weeks. 

The results showed that systematic reading practices aiming to interactive engagement with each child positively impacted language development. Dialogic reading promoted vocabulary growth. Children from non-Swedish-speaking backgrounds demonstrated progress comparable to their peers. Special educators, teachers and principals regarded the method as effective in stimulating language development, relations between teachers and children, and between children. The project’s developed a three-step model, which has been implemented to strengthen practices within local organizations. The children’s progress, evidenced by increased vocabulary and storytelling abilities, underscores that a strong alliance between theory and practice may drive research to remain curious and attuned to practitioners’ relevant questions, leverage research outcomes, address methodological challenges, and collaboratively deliver culturally adapted interventions. Based on the positive evaluations from research, practice, and families, the method of dialogic book reading has been introduced in majority of units within the respective organizations, where expert teachers are mentoring unexperienced colleagues. Not only the children made progresses, but the teachers have been empowered in this process, becoming champions of rewarding pedagogical practices in their organizations. This project provides a model of how internationally established evidence-based practices may be tested in research, adapted and introduced in early childhood education in Nordic countries, in partnership with educational professionals. It is also a call for embracing intervention designs in early childhood education research. Previous research from the field of early intervention may offer knowledge to the field of practice in our context, which contributes to give answers to present societal challenges and may be a step towards more equitable educational systems.  

The research school towards early interventions is a multidisciplinary and multisite programme that received funding from the Swedish Research Council with the aim to develop courses and supervise students working on early interventions projects in early childhood education. It was the first time that the discipline of Special Education received a grant of this type in Sweden; early intervention in early childhood education was underdeveloped and the grant was a great opportunity to make the field grow. Eleven PhD students have been enrolled in the programme and several other have been involved in the courses.  The aim of the poster is to describe the implementation of the PhD programme, the curriculum developed, and to report quantitative and qualitative analyses of achievements in terms of theses, published articles, and some preliminary evaluations of the impact of the school  both in research and professional training. Based on these experiences recommendations for future efforts are provided. 

Antologin Specialpedagogisk forskning och tidiga insatser innehåller tjugo kapitel som belyser det specialpedagogiska kunskapsområdet, med tonvikt på dess inkluderande praktiker och didaktiska tillämpningar. Kapitlen i denna antologi förklarar teoretiska ramverk, analyserar behov och tendenser, sammanfattar forskning och beskriver empiriska studier, där ett gemensamt tema är vad som stödjer barns utveckling och lärande. Ett särskilt fokus är på stimulerande aktiviteter för yngre barn, och för barn med funktionsnedsättning, oavsett deras ålder. De flesta av de fyrtiofyra medverkande författarna är forskare som är verksamma på olika lärosäten i Sverige och i USA. Två av de internationella medverkande är samarbetspartners som har bidragit att utveckla detta forskningsfält i vår kontext. Flera bidrag i antologin är knutna till Forskarskolan i specialpedagogik med inriktning tidiga insatser som finansieras av Vetenskapsrådet, där Stockholms universitet, Jönköping University, Linköpings universitet och Karolinska Institutet ingår. De specialpedagogiska insatserna som illustreras i antologin sträcker sig över ett brett spektrum av insatser med syfte att förändra, utveckla förmågor och förebygga svårigheter. I den första delen finns texter som ger definitioner av begrepp, presenterar teorier och sammanfattar forskningsresultat på ett övergripande sätt. Den andra delen av antologin innehåller femton kapitel med tillämpade studier, ibland med experimentell design, där olika program, verktyg och interventioner har testats. Gemensamt för dessa kapitel är att de utgår från avhandlingsstudier och andra empiriska studier med syfte att främja utveckling, lärande och delaktighet för olika grupper av barn och elever. Bidragen visar vilka innehåll som tidiga specialpedagogiska insatser, stöd och särskilt stöd kan ha i vår kontext och de är exempel på det växande forskningsfältet tillämpad specialpedagogik.

Högläsning med mer dialog är baserad på språkutvecklande principer som skapar engagemang och delaktighet från barnen under läsningen. Denna evidensbaserade högläsningsmetod ger barn möjlighet att utveckla sitt språk både genom att möta ett rikt språk och själva få tillfälle att öva sina muntliga förmågor. Eftersom stärkt språk inom barngruppen gynnar alla barn kan bokläsningen ses som en pedagogisk insats som vänder sig till alla barn. Högläsning med mer dialog har testats i flera studier och har visat goda resultat för att utveckla barnens ordförråd och ordförståelse. Därmed är högläsning särskilt lämplig för barn som ska lära sig majoritetsspråket, dvs. språket som talas i förskola och skola. I det här kapitlet presenteras hur Högläsning med mer dialog introducerades i svensk förskola och delar av resultaten.

Enabling peer play for preschool children with low social skills requires targeted measures for their social development and learning and interactions between them and their peers. Play Time/Social Time (PT/ST) is a peer-mediated instruction and intervention (PMII) with that purpose. This case study explored how four preschool teachers perceived the opportunities and obstacles of PT/ST, and how PMII compared to their current practices in inclusive Swedish preschools. Multiple data were collected: an intervention rating profile (IRP), audio-recorded coaching sessions, logbooks, checklists, and a group interview. The IRP revealed that the teachers rated PT/ST as highly feasible. Through qualitative analysis, we interpreted three themes demonstrating their perceptions: Special educational situations, Conditions for applications, and Professional reflections and learning. Concerning opportunities, the teachers perceived that PT/ST contributed to social skills progress and increased peer play for the target children. They also perceived that PT/ST contributed to their current practices when used regularly and responsively by clarifying learning content, procedures, and goals for social skills and play. Obstacles to PT/ST reflected situational thresholds for simultaneous play between the target children and peers and organisational conditions that complicated applications of PT/ST. Implications for inclusive preschool practice and research are discussed.

Tidiga insatser och interventioner av olika slag för barn i behov av stöd är ett område som sammankopplar evidens från forskning, behov som uppmärksammas i samhälleliga analyser och tillämpningar i praktiken. Denna typ av forskning svarar på behov i samhället och främjar barnens utveckling, delaktighet och lärande i olika miljöer: familjen, förskola, skola och anpassad skola. Kapitlet visar vilka teoretiska grunder och motiv som finns för dessa insatser som syftar till positiva förändringar, och ger exempel på hur de valideras empiriskt. Kapitlet går igenom möjliga fallgropar och invändningar som kan hindra tidiga insatser, samt hur de kan hanteras.

Randomized controlled trials (RCT) are recommended for evaluation of intervention effects. Conducting a regular RCT in educational settings yet can be challenging, due to sample size requirements, clusters of students, and objections against being assigned to the control group. In a recent study we adopted the Switching Replications design with cluster randomization. The participants were 85 five-year old children attending 9 inclusive preschools and their teachers. We will discuss the possible advantages of the design, based on experiences of a cluster randomized trial of dialogic book reading with switching replications, with three point of data collection: pretest, mid-test, and posttest. 

Additional language learners are at risk of presenting lower language skills in the majority language compared to peers. These differences in language skills have been observed at an early stage of education and may impact academic achievement later on. A randomized trial with a switching replications design was performed in Swedish preschools to examine the effectiveness of small group dialogic reading, aiming to promote oral language skills. The sample comprised 85 children with diverse language, socioeconomic, and cultural backgrounds attending nine preschools in three school districts. Dialogic reading was conducted by ten teachers, trained in dialogic reading and coached by three special education teachers. The dialogic reading intervention was feasible in preschool context and children progressed in their oral language skills during the intervention.

Policies of early childhood education (ECE) emphasize the significance of social play with peers for children’s well-being, learning, development, social participation, and inclusion. In Swedish ECE settings, the principle of children’s agency, with access to free play is also important. Previous studies show that children with disabilities and other special educational needs (SEN) could risk engaging less in social play with peers. Previous studies also show that it could be challenging in inclusive ECE teaching to balance the principles of agency and social participation for all children, with the concept of explicit teaching. Peerbased intervention and instruction (PBII) constitute a recommended practice for learning social skills and promoting social play between children in inclusive settings. In order to examine such, researchers need to consider the implementation context and the fidelity of the intervention, both in terms of its procedures and content. This presentation provides examples of a multiple case study, exploring the implementation of a PBII for social play skills, in four inclusive Swedishpreschools. It aims to contribute to discussing the implementation of complex interventions and means for treating feasibility and treatment fidelity in various ECE contexts, where views of social play, social learning, teaching, and care might vary. 

Studies have shown that children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) are less engaged in social interactions with peers. The study attempted to investigate how Swedish preschool teachers in inclusive preschool settings implemented an evidence-based program called Play Time/Social Time; how they interpreted children’s interaction; and how their professional experiences changed. The study was conducted in three preschools; four preschool teachers and one special educator participated. The play intervention included three children in need of special support. Data were collected through structured observations and group and individual interviews. The results show that the teachers acquired skills of implementing accrued play interventions in a preschool setting as well as increased interaction between children with special educational needs and other children. Play Time/ Social Time’s structured approach seems to be appreciated by the teachers in this study; its practice contributed to teachers’ professional development in supporting inclusion in their classroom and in joining a framework of collegial collaboration.