Early childhood education plays a significant role in enhancing the development of young children, particularly those identified with additional needs. Early identification and support for children who are at risk of experiencing learning difficulties is paramount across academic, social, emotional and behavioural domains. Early childhood services play a key role in identification and intervention, thereby ameliorating the likelihood of longer term difficulties once schooling commences. In this special issue of the Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties, five articles are featured with a specific emphasis on early childhood and supporting young students with additional needs. They span the fields of reading difficulties, speech and language difficulties, grade retention, and interprofessional collaboration.
Kevin Wheldall, Robyn Wheldall, Alison Madelaine, Meree Reynolds and Sarah Arakelian provide further evidence for the efficacy of an evidence-based program designed specifically for young struggling readers. Over a seven-year period, 194 students participated in the MiniLit program, a 15- week explicit, systematic literacy intervention. Results suggest that MiniLit significantly improved the reading and related skills of young struggling readers, and highlight the importance of early detection and intervention of reading difficulties in the early years of schooling.
Sharynne McLeod, Kathryn Crowe, Sarah Masso, Elise Baker, Jane McCormack, Yvonne Wren, Susan Roulstone, and Charlotte Howland examine speech and language characteristics of children identified with possible communication concerns using a large-scale longitudinal sample of 4- to 5-year old children from 45 preschools. Preschool-aged children identified with phonologically-based speech sound disorders are more likely to be male, unintelligible to unfamiliar listeners, and possess poor emergent literacy and phonological processing skills. These early indicators of speech sound disorders may assist educators with the early identification of communication difficulties and aid families in seeking appropriate supports for these difficulties prior to commencing school. Early identification and provision of support may thereby enhance school readiness and reduce the likelihood of longer term risk for academic, social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.
Linda Harrison, Sharynne McLeod, Lindy McAllister, and Jane McCormack explore the relationship between specialist assessment and parent and teacher reporting in identifying speech sound disorders in preschool children. Their study found that while parental concerns were more reliable in the detection of speech sound disorders than early childhood educators’ concerns, teacher reports nevertheless provided valuable information on communication in classroom settings.
Sandie Wong and Frances Press provide a comprehensive discussion on the need for collaborative approaches to support children with additional needs. Interprofessional practice across agencies, organisations, and governance structures is advocated to address the complex challenges facing many children and their families. The need for interprofessional work in early childhood, particularly to enhace the early identification and support of children with learning difficulties and additional needs, is highlighted.
Graham Daniel and Cen Wang investigate the evidence associated with grade retention from an Australian perspective using data from the nationally representative Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Grade retention, particularly in the Kindergarten year, primarily stems from learning and behavioural difficulties. Factors including receptive language development, receptive language skills, hyperactivity, and school readiness also appear to play a role in grade retention. The importance of early detection and the value of addressing academic and social-emotional development in the early years of schooling is discussed.
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Sarah McDonagh
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Editors of the Special Early Childhood Issue