Many children not well prepared for school entry
The new PISA results make it clear that things are not going well for pupils in Germany. The misery starts early, according to Dortmund education experts. Many children are already behind in language acquisition when they start school, with clear consequences.
According to education researchers, many children in Germany do not start school 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 latest evaluation states that literacy acquisition begins before they start school.
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 some words, are less well developed in Germany than the EU average," said education researcher and Iglu employee Ramin Schaufelberger according to the press release.
"There is a need for action"
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 nine 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 a higher reading ability 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.
As a consequence of the persistently poor results in educational tests, there are repeated calls for a compulsory pre-school year in which language skills and motor skills can be acquired.
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The PISA study further highlights the issue, as Germany performs poorly in international education rankings. According to the Institute for School Development Research at the University of Dortmund, many children in Germany lack basic reading and writing skills before entering school, a factor that could be addressed through early education policies. To tackle this issue, Nele McElvany, the director of the Iglu study, suggests paying more attention to preparing children for school in Germany, as research shows that children with reading-promoting activities and parents who enjoy reading often possess stronger reading abilities by the end of primary school.
Source: www.ntv.de
