Language skills and well-being in early childhood education and care: a cross-sectional exploration in a Swedish context

The study investigates the correlation between language skills, especially narrative ability and vocabulary, and the self-reported well-being among five-year-olds in kindergarten. The researchers seek to uncover whether language skills affect children’s perceived well-being and social relationships in a Swedish kindergarten context. In addition, the research investigates how factors such as linguistic background and gender can affect both language skills and well-being. The research questions are:

1. Are language skills, especially narrative ability and vocabulary, related to self-reported well-being among five-year-olds in kindergarten?
2. Are there differences in language skills, especially narrative ability and vocabulary, but also self-reported well-being, based on individual factors such as linguistic background and gender?

The study found no significant correlations between language skills and general well-being or well-being related to other people in kindergarten for the entire sample. However, post hoc analyses showed that narrative ability can have a negative correlation with relational well-being in children who have at least one Swedish-speaking parent, which may be due to a different expectation of the learning environment among these children. Language background was also significantly related to vocabulary, where children without Swedish-speaking parents had lower scores. Gender had no significant effect on well-being or language skills.

The researchers used a cross-sectional study in which 85 five-year-olds from nine Swedish kindergartens participated. The children’s language skills were measured with narrative tests (MAIN) and vocabulary tests (BPVS-II and a specific vocabulary size test), while well-being was assessed through the HIFAMS questionnaire, which uses emoji-based scoring. The data were analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) with the aim of identifying possible correlations between language skills, well-being and individual factors such as linguistic background and gender.

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. I Frontiers in Education (vol. 8, s. 963180). Frontiers Media SA.