Refugee Children’s Early Development during Attendance of Specialized Preschool Programs and Transition into First Grade in Germany

ABSTRACT

Research Findings: We assessed socio-emotional behavior, nonverbal reasoning, German receptive language, and motor skills of refugee children attending early childhood development [ECD] programs and of those who did not (N = 207, mean age = 69.4 months). Young refugee children overall demonstrated lower levels of development and more socio-emotional behavior problems. Attendance of preschool-based ECD programs was inconsistently linked to better outcomes. Only moderate improvements in German receptive language skills could be supported across different methodological approaches. Although socio-emotional problems of refugee children attending ECD programs persisted on high levels, those children showed overall fewer problems when compared to non-attenders at the transition to first grade, especially less hyperactivity/inattention and more prosocial behavior. Practice or Policy: Our study supports that refugee experiences during early childhood are linked to lower developmental learning foundations. Specialized ECD programs for refugees can compensate a general shortage in regular ECD services in times of increased demands. Such programs thus increase the chances of refugee children to keep pace academically with their non-refugee peers. However, as specialized programs for refugee children establish a non-inclusive route in the early education sector of Germany, they still have to empirically prove quality and promoting effects on the children’s ECD.

Acknowledgments

We gratefully thank Sandy Chwastek and Felix Schideck for their valuable contributions and also thank all participating students, teachers, and schools who have supported this study.

Data Availability Statement

The dataset supporting the conclusions of this article is available from the corresponding author or Birgit Leyendecker on reasonable request.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the educational trust RuhrFutur (Mercator Foundation) through a grant to Birgit Leyendecker.