Early childhood language assessment

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The primary goal of the early childhood language assessment project is to use educators 15 months before school entry to record the language support needs of children across Austria , regardless of whether the children are already attending kindergarten or not. The basis of the project is a 15a agreement that was concluded in spring 2008 between the federal government and the federal states.

method

The language level of children in Austria should be determined with the help of standardized observation instruments according to the same criteria, in order to ensure comparability of the results. By using uniform criteria, a decision can be made about a need for language support. The children observed can be supported in a differentiated manner in acquiring their language skills or the resources available for these support measures can be divided up within the federal states as required. The following observation instruments have been developed by BIFIE on behalf of the BMUKK since 2008 to determine language proficiency in kindergarten:

  • BESK 4-5 for children who regularly attend an education or care facility has been available since spring 2008.
  • SSFB 4-5 for children who do not attend kindergarten and whose language proficiency is determined in the course of half a taster day in kindergarten has been available since spring 2008, but will no longer be used as of 2010 due to the compulsory final year of kindergarten.
  • BESK-DaZ for recording the German language skills of children with German as a second language who are gradually acquiring German has been available since spring 2010.

Evaluation

BIFIE Graz was commissioned to evaluate the language proficiency test with BESK 4-5 and SSFB 4-5 . The evaluation consists of four parts:

  • Oral survey (interview guide): Status of the project with those responsible for this project in the federal states (autumn 2008).
  • Written survey: feedback on the BESK 4-5 and SSFB 4-5 from educators trained on these instruments (autumn / winter 2008/09).
  • Written survey: Educational staff in kindergartens, taking into account regional differences (with regard to language level assessment and language support measures) for the various elements of the overall project (early summer 2009).
  • Written survey: assessment of the measures for early language promotion in kindergarten by school principals and teachers in grade 0 and 1 at elementary schools.

Results

Every year after the language proficiency test in May, the kindergartens inform those responsible in the federal states how many of the children who will be enrolled in school in the coming year will need assistance in acquiring the German language in order to receive funds for language training.

First survey in 2008

A nationwide survey of the language proficiency of four and a half to five and a half year olds was first carried out in Austria in May 2008 with BESK 4-5 and SSFB 4-5 . All data from this nationwide survey were collected and evaluated centrally by BIFIE .

Some practice kindergartens as well as the five federal states of Burgenland, Carinthia, Salzburg, Styria and Vienna took part in the language level assessment. In the federal states, multipliers were trained who, ideally, train the pedagogues regionally in April and May 2008 in instruments for determining language proficiency. At the same time, materials (picture books, picture cards, handbooks and questionnaires) were sent to the kindergartens and the teachers observed. After the observation, the results of the language proficiency assessment were transmitted to BIFIE by the educators.

From a total of 40,017 children belonging to the target group of four and a half to five and a half year olds, data from 25,167 children were collected, which corresponded to a response rate of 63%. Overall, the language skills of 75% of the children in the kindergartens were observed using the BESK 4-5 ; the language proficiency of 9% of the external children could be recorded within the framework of half a trial day in the kindergarten using the SSFB 4-5 .

The results show: 76% of the children observed have age-appropriate German language skills, while 24% of the children require differentiated language support. Children who do not attend an institution have more difficulties acquiring the German language than children who are already attending kindergarten. Every second (external) child who does not attend kindergarten regularly needs support with language acquisition. 60% of children with German as a second language require language support in German. 10% of children growing up in monolingual German do not have the required language skills that were observed with BESK 4–5 and SSFB 4–5.

According to the results, attending kindergarten for several years has a positive effect on a child's language skills and can therefore be classified as particularly educationally effective. Trained teachers have the opportunity in kindergarten to take a targeted look at the different areas of language. You observe and follow the language development of a child in everyday kindergarten life and can offer individual language support if necessary.

The compulsory last year of kindergarten, which was introduced in all federal states of Austria in autumn 2010, can therefore be assessed very positively and is a step in the right direction with regard to language development and preparation for school entry.

Second survey

A second nationwide survey of the German language skills of preschool children in Austria is expected to be carried out in the next few years by determining the language level of children with German as a second language with BESK-DaZ and the language level of children with German as first language with BESK .

quality control

A revision and precise coordination of the instruments BESK 4-5 and BESK-DaZ (observation sheet for recording the language competence in German of children with German as a second language) based on evaluation, reports and feedback is planned for 2010. The use of the revised instruments BESK and BESK-DaZ is expected to be possible from spring 2011. Further quality assurance measures are:

  • Intensive training in the areas of linguistics, language acquisition, language proficiency assessment as well as language promotion must take place in order to train educators accordingly, which is why an academic education for educators should be introduced as soon as possible.
  • extensive advanced and advanced training courses (e.g. courses at PH) are to be set up.
  • Sufficient financial resources must be made available for language proficiency testing in early childhood, language training and research in these areas.
  • An improvement in the care situation through more staff is required in order to make the implementation of the language proficiency tests more affordable and to ensure the support of each individual child.

criticism

BESK 4-5 is an observation instrument that records the first language skills of a child in German; it can only be used to a limited extent for children with German as a second language.

literature

  • BMUKK – Federal Ministry for Education, Art and Culture [Hrsg.] (2009): Early language support in kindergarten. General information from the BM: UKK . Vienna: BMUKK. Available from: [1] (PDF; 2.0 MB); 4th August 2010
  • Breit, S. (Ed.) (2009a). Early childhood language assessment. Concept and results of systematic observation in kindergarten . Graz: Leykam. Available at: [2]
  • Breit, S. (Ed.) (2009b). Manual for the BESK-DaZ. Salzburg: BIFIE. Available at: [3] or [4] ; April 15, 2010
  • Breit, S./Schneider, P. (2008a). BESK 4-5 - observation sheet to record the language skills of 4- to 5-year-olds in educational and care facilities. Salzburg: BIFIE, 2008a. Available at: [5] or [6] ; April 15, 2010
  • Breit, S./Schneider, P. (2008b) Handbook for the BESK 4-5 (observation sheet for recording the language competence of 4- to 5-year-olds in educational and care facilities). Salzburg: BIFIE, 2008b. Available at: [7] or [8] ; April 15, 2010
  • Breit, S./Schneider, P. (2008c). SSFB 4-5 - language proficiency assessment sheet for 4- to 5-year-olds without institutional education and supervision as part of a half-day trial day in kindergarten . Salzburg: BIFIE. Available at: [9] or [10]
  • Breit, S / Schneider, P. (2008d). Manual for the SSFB 4-5 . Salzburg: BIFIE. Available at: [11] or [12] ; April 15, 2010
  • Breit, S./Schneider, P./Wanka, R. (2009). Language proficiency assessment in kindergarten. Milestones, results and perspectives (pp. 959–967). Education & teaching (focus: kindergarten educational institution, 9-10 / 2009).
  • Breit, S./Schneider, P./Wanka, R./Rössl, B. (2009). BESK-DaZ - sheet to record the language competence of children with German as a second language. Salzburg: BIFIE. Available from: [13] or http://www.sprich-mit-mir.at/pages/paedagoginnen/downloads/ ; April 15, 2010
  • Stanzel-Tischler, E. (2009). BIFIE-Report 1/2009 & 2/2009: Evaluation of the project "Early language support in kindergarten" . Graz: Leykam. Available from: [14]

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ for example available at: or [http://www.tirol.gv.at/fileadmin/www.tirol.gv.at/themen/bildung/bildung/downloads/15avereinschrift.pdf  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. .]  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. htm@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.plattform-educare.org  @1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.plattform-educare.org  
  2. ↑ cf. Breit, 2009a
  3. ↑ http://www.bifie.at/
  4. ↑ cf. Breit / Schneider, 2008a, b
  5. ↑ cf. Breit / Schneider, 2008c, d
  6. ↑ cf. Breit 2009b and Breit / Schneider / Wanka / Rössl, 2009
  7. ↑ cf. bifie website archive link ( memento of the original dated August 7, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bifie.at
  8. ↑ Find the results under: Archive link ( Memento of the original from December 23, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. ; April 15, 2010 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bifie.at
  9. ↑ Find the results under: Archive link ( Memento of the original from December 23, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. ; April 15, 2010 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bifie.at
  10. ↑ Find the results under: Archive link ( Memento of the original from October 22, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bifie.at
  11. ↑ Find the results under: Archive link ( Memento of the original from October 22, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bifie.at
  12. ↑ cf. Breit, 2009a
  13. ↑ cf. Breit, 2009a
  14. ↑ cf. Breit, 2009a
  15. ↑ cf. Breit, 2009a
  16. ↑ cf. Breit, 2009a
  17. ↑ see, for example, the website of the Federal Ministry of Economics, Family and Youth: http://www.bmwfj.gv.at  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.bmwfj.gv.at  
  18. ↑ cf. Breit / Schneider / Wanka, 2009
  19. ↑ cf. Breit, 2009; see. Stanzel carpenter, 2009
  20. ↑ cf. Breit, 2009; see. Stanzel carpenter, 2009
  21. ↑ cf. Breit, 2009; see. Stanzel carpenter, 2009
  22. ↑ cf. Breit, 2009; see. Stanzel carpenter, 2009
  23. ↑ In 2009 an observation sheet was developed to record the language competence of children with German as a second language ( BESK-DaZ ) (cf. Breit / Schneider / Wanka / Rössl, 2009).

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