Late Talkers and Language Learning in Norwegian ECEC for Children Under Three

The study investigates the learning opportunities for children under 3 years of age with delayed language development (late talkers) in Norwegian kindergartens. The study is based on data from two doctoral theses that focus on language development, play and social functioning in early childhood. The research questions are: 1) To what extent do children with delayed language development participate in play and social interaction? 2) To what extent do kindergarten employees support child participation in verbal communication?

The study shows that children with typical language development in Norwegian kindergartens benefit from the learning environment, while children with delayed language development (late talkers) often fall behind in play and social interaction, which limits their language learning. For these children, there is a need for more targeted and systematic learning activities, as well as staff that have the necessary knowledge to support their language development.

The researchers used data from two previous doctoral studies (Study A and Study B). In the first study (A), researchers observed 1005 children aged 30-33 months in Norwegian kindergartens. They looked at how the children played and interacted with others, and used the observation tools TRAS and Alle med to collect data. In the second study (B), the researchers used both video observation of children in kindergarten and information about the quality of the language environment in kindergarten. They investigated how employees spoke to the children, and whether this affected the children’s language development. The researchers compared and contrasted the findings from the two studies.

Stangeland, E. B., & Hansen, J. E. (2022). Late Talkers and Language Learning in Norwegian ECEC for Children Under Three. I Special Education in the Early Years: Perspectives on Policy and Practice in the Nordic Countries (s. 185–197). Springer International Publishing.