Education: Many children are not well prepared for starting school

According to educational researchers, many children in Germany do not start their school life well prepared. When it comes to basic reading and writing skills, the skills are weak compared to the EU, as surveys of school management and parents as part of the international primary school reading survey (Igloo) showed. This was announced by the Institute for School Development Research (IFS) at the University of Dortmund, which presented the central results of the Igloo study in May and has since singled out individual aspects separately. The children learn to read and write at school, but the acquisition of written language begins before they start school, it was said on Tuesday.

Activities that promote reading include reading books, telling stories, singing songs or even having conversations about activities. Early reading socialization is very important for later reading skills and lays important foundations for school. “Most skills, such as being able to recognize most of the letters of the alphabet or being able to read some words, are less developed in Germany than in the EU average,” said educational researcher and Igloo employee Ramin Schaufelberger, according to the statement.

According to the IFS, in the representative Igloo survey, 78 percent of the 252 school principals stated that fewer than 25 percent of the children in their school have basic skills when they enter first grade. That is significantly weaker 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 value among all EU countries participating in igloos.

There is a need for action, emphasized Iglu study director Nele McElvany, who is the managing director of the IFS. “The high proportion of students who do not have good reading skills when they start school suggests that greater attention should be paid to preparing for school in Germany.” Children who had activities that promoted reading before starting school and who had parents who enjoyed reading showed higher reading ability at the end of primary school.

The Igloo study showed that around 25 percent of fourth graders cannot read properly and cannot understand texts well enough.

© dpa-infocom, dpa:231212-99-263050/3