"The purpose of this paper is to provide evidence to support direct vocabulary intervention practices for primary school-age children with language impairment (LI). A rationale for providing direct vocabulary intervention for children with LI is outlined by reviewing typical and atypical vocabulary acquisition, evidence of instructional strategies from research in mainstream and special education is summarised, and suggestions for vocabulary intervention activities that facilitate deep word knowledge are provided. Suggestions for choosing appropriate vocabulary, using strategies during direct intervention, and conducting activities that increase depth of vocabulary knowledge are included."

Research demonstrates that children can make more significant gains through explicit instruction of vocabulary than implicit instruction (Blachowicz and Fisher in Teaching vocabulary in all classrooms, Allyn & Bacon, Boston, MA, 2010; Dalton and Grisham in Read Teach 64(5):306–317, 2011). Effective explicit instruction often includes high quality conversations with teachers and peers (Towson et al. in J Early Interv 38(4):230–246, 2016; Wasik in Read Teach 63(8):621–633, 2010). Data for this study were collected from a larger study designed to explore students’ use of vocabulary words following explicit instruction with the words during an interactive read-aloud. A deeper microanalysis of student discussion, scaffolded by adults, was conducted. The transcribed student discussions, recorded during peer talk, were analyzed using NVivo 10 (QSR International in NVivo (version 10). NVivo qualitative data analysis software, QSR International, Doncaster, VIC, 2012) software. These case studies describe the vocabulary development of two children with diagnosed speech and language disorders and one child without a speech and language impairment.

This study used a novel method to examine the volume and quality of teacher–child conversations within 44 preschool classrooms. Small group play sessions were transcribed, parsed into conversations, and coded for teachers’ use of strategies that elicited and extended child talk. The first research aim was to examine the extent to which professional development impacted teachers’ strategy use during conversations with children, whereas the second aim was to consider the way in which teachers’ strategy use related to gains in children's vocabulary across the preschool year. Regarding this second aim, of principal interest was the relation between the pattern of teachers’ strategy use (concentrated versus distributed) and children's gains. Findings indicated that professional development increased teacher–child engagement in multi-turn conversations, child-initiated conversations, and teachers’ strategy use. In addition, teacher–child conversations with a high concentration of teacher elicitations and extensions were positively associated with children's vocabulary gains. This study increases our understanding of what teacher–child conversations look like in preschool settings, and helps to advance the field in terms of identifying features of conversations that may promote children's language growth.

The use of touch screen tablets by young children is increasing in the home and in early childhood settings. The simple tactile interface and finger-based operating features of tablets may facilitate preschoolers’ use of tablet application software and support their educational development in domains such as literacy. This article reviews current findings on using touch screen tablets in supporting early literacy development within a theoretical framework. The evidence suggests that tablets have the potential to enhance children’s emergent literacy skills (e.g., alphabet knowledge, print concepts, and emergent writing). However, the optimal use of tablets for early literacy learning may be dependent upon the type of scaffolding used by parent or teacher and the availability and quality of literacy tablet applications. Practical implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

The current study uses path modeling to investigate the relationship between extrinsic and intrinsic factors that influence early childhood educators' digital technology use. Survey data from 1234 early childhood educators indicate that attitudes toward the value of technology to aid children's learning have the strongest effect on technology use, followed by confidence and support in using technology. Additionally, student SES has the strongest effect on attitudes, while support and technology policy influence teacher confidence, which in turn influences attitudes. In contrast, more experienced teachers have more negative attitudes. Overall, the study provides the first path model investigating early childhood educators' technology use and provides practical considerations to aid teachers' use of technology in the classroom.