The purpose of this qualitative research was to gather information needed to produce professional development information for early childhood educators for the identification of students who may need speech-language therapy. A concentrated focus was primarily on needs for speech therapy based on specific language impairments or delays in language development which may impact overall literacy acquisition and academic success. The study sought to better understand the information early childhood education teachers need to be able to complete an effective referral for a student suspected of having a speech-language problem. The study also delved into early childhood teachers' understanding of the four primary areas (articulation/phonology, language, fluency, and voice) addressed in speech therapy and these teachers' understanding of the language/literacy connections associated with phonemic awareness, auditory processing, and working memory. The researcher collected data to answer the research questions from face-to-face interviews with 14 early childhood educators from the focus site, a rural elementary school in South Carolina. The findings indicate that early childhood education teachers relate speech therapy primarily with sound errors (articulation therapy). The findings also indicate the need for professional development to help with the collaborative effort between classroom teachers and speech therapists to improve literacy through language therapy for disordered language problems. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]