Language support needs and gender differences in the Hildesheim region: Perspectives for interprofessional cooperation in language support

Building on well-known sex disparities in children’s language competencies, we have been investigating both national and regional data on sex differences in the language support needs of children before school entry since 2023. The preliminary research was conducted as part of the pilot project Language support needs and gender differences in the Hildesheim region: Establishing a data foundation in early childhood education.

"The recognition that ‘gender-specific attitudes not only affect subjective perception, but can also contribute to problematic developments in the field of language competencies’ highlights the social relevance of this project. It is encouraging to note that the project not only aims for a nuanced analysis of the data but also seeks to provide regional institutions with these insights." – Prof. Dr. Anja Henningsen (University of Applied Sciences, Kiel, Germany)

Building on this foundation, the project Language support needs and gender differences in the Hildesheim region: Establishing a data foundation in early childhood education operates at a critical intersection between the education and health systems. It collects data on language support needs from ECEC centres, school entry examinations conducted by public health authorities, and health insurance providers. A gender-differentiated approach is used to gather data on preschool-aged children. Based on these findings, strategies for interprofessional cooperation at the regional level are developed. The project's results will serve as a foundation for further research initiatives both regionally and at national and international levels. Furthermore, they will be incorporated into the curricula of HAWK study programs and into regional collaborations and networks.

Research project

Promoting language competencies in early childhood is a crucial societal responsibility and is therefore established as a legal mandate for ECEC centres under the Lower Saxony Child Daycare Act (NKitaG 2021). This mandate is implemented at the regional level by counties and municipalities, which develop appropriate strategies for their facilities. In cases of language development disorders or delays, collaboration with speech therapy institutions is required. Current studies show that a significant proportion of primary school children exhibit deficits in language competencies (McElvany et al. 2023). The high percentage of children with language deficits identified in school entry examinations (Lower Saxony State Health Office 2023) highlights that these deficits often stem from delayed or disrupted language development in the early years of life.

Between April 2024 and December 2025, a comprehensive quantitative analysis of regional data will be conducted, examining the interconnections between gender differences, multilingualism, migration, and social background. In addition, expert interviews will be carried out with specialists from regional institutions (such as public health offices and health insurance providers). The findings from these interviews will be compared with data collected from ECEC centres. By analyzing language development observation forms from the selected institutions, along with group discussions involving experts and early childhood professionals, the project aims to introduce the previously missing educational perspective into the specialized discourse on gender differences in relation to language support needs.

Research group and cooperation

Our initiative on this topic is part of the research group “Language development and gender in childhood”, a collaboration between the Faculty of Social Work and Health at HAWK, DialogWerk Braunschweig, and KEA/University of Hildesheim. The group meets twice a year to exchange ideas and develop new projects, and it welcomes additional participants who are interested in contributing to its work.

Gender Research Award

In January 2024, the pilot project Language support needs and gender difference in the Hildesheim region: Establishing a data foundation in early childhood education was awarded the HAWK Gender Research Award. For more information, please refer to the press release (Pressemeldung) (in German).

Publications and Conference contributions

The preliminary results of the pilot project are available in the interim report (in German).

A book project on the topic of language and gender in early childhood education is planned for 2025/26.

Project results have been presented at two international conferences: