Critical language problems: One in four children in MV struggles before starting school!

Critical language problems: One in four children in MV struggles before starting school!

There is alarming news in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: one in four children has language difficulties when they start school. According to a current evaluation of school entrance examinations, around a third of school starters in this region show language problems. The Mecklenburg Lake District is particularly affected, where the numbers are even higher. There are official recommendations here that suggest that children who lag behind in language should start school a year later. Many children receive speech therapy support before starting school or have a recommendation for such treatments. In less privileged social environments, the risk of language problems is particularly high, as ndr.de reports.

What are the causes for this? Parents in educationally disadvantaged backgrounds often do not have the necessary resources to promote their children's language development. Excessive media use can also play a role. Many people starting school have difficulty pronouncing sounds, have difficulty forming longer sentences and have problems listening or counting. School entrance examinations also often seem to be inaccurate, especially for children who speak German as a second or third language.

The role of daycare centers

Daycare centers play a crucial role in language development. However, the success of these measures depends heavily on the qualifications of the educators and the time for support offers. In many cases, special language daycare centers are available that specifically look after children with language problems.

It is also known that boys are much more likely to have speech problems than girls. This could also be because socially disadvantaged families often have a higher risk of language development being impaired. Children with a migrant background in particular often show speech, language or voice disorders and should therefore be given special support.

Current reports from the Barmer health insurance company show that the number of children and young people with language problems in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania continues to increase. For example, in 2023, around 15 percent of children in Schwerin were deferred. The medical officer explained that in many places parents are becoming increasingly less confident in their children, which is making the entire situation more difficult. However, the usefulness of possible treatments and support measures should always be discussed with specialists such as doctors or speech therapists. Here the Gesundheitsinformation offers useful information to support parents in these discussions.