Research project Social interaction during playtime and language activities
Early interventions in inclusive early childhood Education for children with special educational needs.
The project investigates play and language interventions in the preschool environment with a practical approach with several different theoretical starting points. The project is aimed at a technically eclectic form of practice based on scientific, theoretical and professional assessment.
In consultation with teachers and special educators from about 15 to 17 preschools, the project focuses on developing areas where evidence-based efforts are lacking. The areas are in demand by professionals and for participation in situations of free play for children in need of support, support for social interaction and learning involving peers, language comprehension and expressive language.
References
- Siljehag, E. (Under utgivning, 2026). Betydelsen och vikten av tidiga specialpedagogiska insatser i förskolan. Läraraförlaget antologi.
- Siljehag, E., Westling Allodi, M., Bäck, L., Leymann, B., Persson, K., Riad, R., Suarez C. & Törnsäter, C (2024): Hållbar forskning och hållbar verksamhetsutveckling – reflektioner över möjliga avtryck i forskning och utbildningar. I Praktiknära skolforskning – resultat och erfarenheter från nio forskningsprojekt. Skolforskningsinstitutet fördjupar 2024:01. Skolforskningsinstitutet.
- Siljehag, E. (2025): Specialpedagoger om ett hållbart partnerskap mellan fält och forskning i förskolan. I M. Allodi & H. Selenius (eds) Specialpedagogisk forskning och tidiga insatser. Stockholm: Stockholm University Press. https://doi.org/10.16993/bct.m.
- Siljehag, E (2025) podd Skolforskningsinstitutet. Avsnitt 33: Att stödja språkutvecklingen hos flerspråkiga barn 2024-06-03 08: Programledare är Anna Hedman. Camilla Suarez vid Tellusbarn, och Eva Siljehag och Rasmus Riad, Siljehag intervju 260115 Siljehag, E. (2026) https://skolforskningsportalen.se/forskningsprojekt/socialt-samspel-och-sprakaktiviteter-i-forskolan/
- Gladh, M., Siljehag, E., Westling Allodi, M., & Odom, S. L. (2022).
Supporting children’s social play with peer-based intervention and
instruction in four inclusive Swedish preschools. Frontiers in Education, 7. www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2022.943601/full - Gladh, M., Siljehag, E., Westling Allodi, M., & Sandall, S. R. (2025).
Teachers’ perceptions of using peer-mediated instruction and intervention for supporting children’s social skills and play between children in inclusive preschools. Cogent Education, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2025.2460969 - Riad, R., Allodi, M. W., Siljehag, E., & Bölte, S. (2023). Language skills
and well-being in early childhood education and care: a cross-sectional exploration in a Swedish context. Frontiers in Education 8:963180 https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.963180 - Siljehag, E. & Westling Allodi, M. (2023b). Tid för lek och samspel.
Medieproduktion. YouTube https://youtu.be/rkO0KXSaCLA?si=qnnP0p OgLo9UxCfk - Gladh, M. & Siljehag, E. (2025): Lek mellan barn som medel och mål i inkluderande förskolor. I M. Allodi & H. Selenius (red) Specialpedagogisk forskning och tidiga insatser. Stockholm: Stockholm University Press. https://doi.org/10.16993/bct.q.
- Siljehag, E. & Westling Allodi, M. (2023): Introducing a program supporting social interactions and play in inclusive preschools in Sweden: Reflections on a stepwise collaborative implementation process. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 31(1), 124–142. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1350293X.2022.2157460
- Siljehag, E., Westling Allodi, M., Persson, K., Suarez, C., & Törnsäter, C.
(2024b). Sustainable improvement and strong results based on true
partnership between research and practice. EAPRIL’s Official Conference Proceedings 2023 in The European Association for Practitioner Research on Improving Learning p. 154–163 Belfast. Conference theme: One for all, all for one: Building bridges by working together. https://eapril.org/assets/images/2023_Proceedingsfinal.pdf