SprachFit – Scientific Evaluation

Project Description

With its SprachFit initiative, the state of Baden-Württemberg aims to ensure that children are linguistically fit for their future education and life from an early age. Good language skills are a key prerequisite for successful learning, social participation, and equal opportunities. That is why the state of Baden-Württemberg launched the SprachFit initiative, which aims to identify children with language support needs at an early stage and provide them with targeted support from trained staff.

Since 2024, preschool children in selected daycare facilities have been receiving additional language support as needed; in the future, SprachFit is to be implemented across the board and made mandatory. Other components of the program include the introduction of junior classes to strengthen school readiness (starting in 2026), the expansion of everyday language support in daycare centres, the increased use of multi-professional teams in schools, and the integration of the previous “Lernen mit Rückenwind” (Learning with Tailwind) program.

The scientific evaluation of the initiative is being carried out by a consortium of scientists from the Heidelberg University of Education, the University of Education Weingarten, and DIPF. Until the end of 2029, the team will examine how the various SprachFit measures are being implemented and what effects they are having on children's development. The project is being carried out with funding from the Institute for Educational Analysis Baden-Württemberg (IBBW).

A central concern of the evaluation is the quality of the implementation of the measures. Plans include on-site visits to support groups and junior classes, surveys of managers, specialists, parents, and children, group interviews on expectations and experiences with SprachFit, and analyses of the materials used. In addition, a multi-year longitudinal study will be conducted in which around 800 children with and without additional language support will be monitored in order to empirically examine the development of their language skills.

Project Objectives

The aim of the “SprachFit” initiative is to promote language skills in early childhood and thereby contribute to equal opportunities in the education system. The accompanying evaluation aims to examine the effectiveness of the program and investigate the extent to which different areas of child development benefit from the support program.

Funding

Federal Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports in Baden-Württemberg

Cooperations

• Heidelberg University of Education: Prof. Dr. Steffi Sachse, Prof. Dr. Jan-Henning Ehm
• University of Education Weingarten: Prof. Dr. Simone Lehrl

Project Management

Project Team

• Ariane Pickhardt
• Elisabeth Resa

Project Details