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Professional Benefits for Early Childhood Educators Delivering a Targeted Intervention to Support Young Children with Language Delay in Early Childhood Education and Care Settings

Moloney M, Egan S, Pope J, Breatnach D · 18 Jun 2026

Abstract

Abstract This paper explores the views of early childhood educators regarding their training, involvement and implementation of Early Talk Boost, a 9-week intervention designed to support 3–4-year-old children with language delay across twenty-three settings in Ireland. This paper reports on the findings of a be-spoke questionnaire completed by twenty educators, as well as interviews with eight educators, which explored the benefits of the programme for them, as well as the enablers and barriers to its implementation. Findings point to many positive benefits for educators including enhanced knowledge of language and communication in young children, increased confidence in supporting young children with language difficulties, and greater awareness of when to refer them for speech and language therapy. Overall, educators felt that the ETB programme was easy to deliver and highlighted a number of key enablers for effective implementation namely: appropriate educator preparation and readiness, and the support of both a Speech and Language Therapist and the early childhood manager throughout the intervention period. They also identified systemic challenges within the early childhood sector, including staffing ratios which could affect a more wide-scale delivery of the programme. The findings underscore the value in supporting the continued professional development of early childhood educators, enabling them to provide therapeutic interventions within their settings. This paper considers the implications of the findings for educators’ professional development, as well as the capacity of early childhood settings to offer effective interventions.