Education - Many children not well prepared for school entry
According to educational researchers, many children in Germany do not start their school life well prepared. In an EU comparison, skills in basic reading and writing are weak, according to surveys of school administrators and parents as part of the International Primary School Reading Survey (Iglu). This was announced by the Institute for School Development Research (IFS) at the University of Dortmund, which presented the key findings of the Iglu study in May and has since been focusing on individual aspects separately. Although children learn to read and write at school, the acquisition of literacy begins before they start school, it said on Tuesday.
Activities that promote reading include reading books aloud, telling stories, singing songs and talking about activities. Early reading socialization is of great importance for later reading skills and lays important foundations for the school years. "Most skills, such as recognizing most letters of the alphabet or being able to read a few words, are less well developed in Germany than the EU average," said educational researcher and Iglu employee Ramin Schaufelberger, according to the press release.
In the representative Iglu survey, 78 percent of the 252 school principals stated that less than 25 percent of the children in their school have basic skills when they enter first grade, according to the IFS. This is significantly lower than the EU average. And only 9 percent of parents rate their children's reading skills as "very good" when they start school. According to the IFS, this is the lowest figure of all Igloo-participating EU countries.
There is a need for action, emphasized Igloo study director Nele McElvany, who is the managing director of the IFS. "The high proportion of pupils who do not have good reading-related skills when they start school indicates that more attention should be paid to preparing children for school in Germany." Children with reading-promoting activities before starting school and with parents who enjoy reading showed higher reading skills at the end of primary school.
The Iglu study had shown that around 25 percent of fourth-graders cannot read properly or understand texts well enough.
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- Despite being located in the rich educational landscape of North Rhine-Westphalia, home to the University of Dortmund, many children in Germany still struggle with basic reading and writing skills upon entering school, as highlighted in an EU comparison.
- Ramin Schaufelberger, an educational researcher at the IFS in Dortmund and a participant in the EU-wide Iglu study, stated that essential literacy skills, such as recognizing alphabet letters or reading simple words, are generally less developed in children from Germany compared to the EU average.
- Recognizing the need for action, Nele McElvany, the director of the Iglu study and managing director of the IFS in Dortmund, suggested that more focus should be given to preparing children effectively for school in Germany, as the high proportion of pupils with poor reading skills upon entry indicates a lack of such preparation.
Source: www.stern.de
