The effects of high quality ECEC are promotive and protective against individual and social risks. Early interventions in inclusive ECEC are also effective and recommended for children with special educational needs (SEN) since they can support their participation, learning and well-being and successfully prevent later learning and behavior difficulties in school.

Previous research and evaluations from national agencies indicated that some areas need to be improved in ECEC in Sweden for children with SEN and diverse cultural backgrounds in observed learning environments and according to the teachers: the participation of children in free play situation with peers; the social skills, the interactions with peers and the use of peer-mediated learning strategies; receptive and expressive language skills.

The aim for this project, funded by The Swedish Institute for Educational Research 2019-2021 is to develop language skills as a basis for inclusion and participation. Preschool children who have a different mother tongue than Swedish benefit from participating in language-stimulating activities that develop their vocabulary. Dialogic Book Reading is a structured method for picture book reading that has been developed in the United States. Book Reading with more dialog based on different level issues and expanded vocabulary has been shown good effects on children's later achievements in school. In this project, a test is carried out in Swedish preschools of this method with children at the age of five. The project also aims to develop social skills with daily arranged playtimes. Children need develop some social skills in order to participate in play and interaction with peers in preschool. Children in need of support and children with disabilities risk being excluded in play situations if they not have developed these social abilities. Play Time / Social Time is an interaction skills program and includes 25 learning activities and playtime about 10 minutes during 5 weeks and has shown increased play interaction between children in need of support and other children.

The project adopts a longitudinal design and a mixed method approach. The project develops early intervention programs with 95 students, in close collaboration with teachers and special educators working in 16 preschools in 3 municipalities, adopting tiered models of quality and early interventions; supporting social skills and play with peer-mediated approaches, and developing expressive and receptive language skills with structured dialogic book reading.

Result from 2019 show that education of the programs needs to be on ongoing process before, during and after the intervention for both the teachers, special educators and their managements and for the researchers. The education also needs to assume that adults in their profession have valuable knowledge of play interaction and book reading which are incorporated into the intervention work. Knowledge from the field, education and research will form the basis for a joint analysis and interpretation work in the spring of 2020. A culture-adapted model for play- and language interventions for all children is being prepared for autumn 2020.