Focus on children’s language development

In December 2022, approximately 160 language educators, first preschool teachers, principals, special educators and other key staff at Jönköping Municipality started the education “Language and Knowledge Development Approaches in Preschool” at the School of Education and Communication (HLK) at Jönköping University (JU). On Wednesday 11 September, a final education day and conclusion of the education were held.

The education had its last session and conclusion on 11 September. It has been jointly planned by, among others, Sara Hvit Lindstrand, Assistant Professor of Education at HLK, as Education Manager, and Marita Davidsson, Development Strategist from the education administration at Jönköping Municipality.

"For HLK, it has been important to design the education in collaboration with Jönköping municipality. It is through joint planning and discussions that we have been able to create and implement the education together, says Sara Hvit Lindstrand.

Sara Dommartine, Contract Education Coordinator at HLK and Education Manager, is very pleased with the commitment, both from HLK and the participants.

“It has been incredibly fun to follow this journey since December 2022. Together with Jönköping municipality, we have been able to put together this research-based education that really gives the participants in-depth knowledge of how they can work together in their work teams to promote and challenge children's language based on meaningful contexts,” says Sara Dommartine.

Openness, equality and social justice

Based on the core values of openness, equality, and social justice, the education has aimed to strengthen the quality of teaching and increase the equivalence of all children's language development and future literacy development in Jönköping municipality's preschools.

The education has consisted of four main parts:

- Children's language development

- Language and knowledge development approaches in early childhood education

- Intercultural approaches in early childhood education

- Collegial learning

In addition to lectures, workshops and discussions, the education has also consisted of digital material that all staff in preschools in Jönköping municipality have been able to access. Videos have been recorded after each session and have been available throughout the training period, and the language educators have been responsible for processing the content together in their preschool areas.

Jönköping Municipality's Director of Education Erik Nilsson believes that the education has been rewarding and useful for everyone who has participated.

“The fact that so many from the municipality have had the opportunity to take part in this education is incredibly important. We know that language, the ability to communicate, and understand, are prerequisites for children to be able to develop and have a good future,” says Erik Nilsson.

Useful for real work

During the final day, eight preschool districts in the municipality presented how the training has benefited them, and they gave concrete examples of how their preschool works with experiences and tools from the training. The day ended with a panel discussion with Stig-Arne Tengmer, First Vice Chairman of the Children and Education Committee, Stefan Nilsson Ekvall, Head of Preschool Education, Erik Nilsson, Director of Education, and Sara Hvit Lindstrand.

Maria Fråhn is a language teacher in the Bankeryd preschool area and she thinks the training has been rewarding.

“In our preschool area, the training has created new collegial exchanges of ideas that enrich a language and knowledge development approach in preschool. To be invited to a training that concerns all the municipality's preschool areas is very valuable. It creates common tools for how we, together within the preschool, can support children's language and knowledge development,” says Maria Fråhn.

Tailoring the SKUA training (Language and Knowledge Development Approaches) is not new for HLK. There is a lot of competence for research-based teaching with extensive experience at JU and HLK has previously carried out these commissioned educations at municipalities such as Upplands Bro, Högsby, Västervik and Sävsjö.

For more information about SKUA training or other contract educations, please contact Sara Dommartine.