WORTREICH: A look at the first months

Successful Project Launch

After just nine months, nine out of ten project positions have already been filled.

“The recruitment process has been very positive. Originally, we assumed that in the first year of the project we would be able to fill only three to four of the total ten positions. However, after just nine months, we were already able to successfully fill nine roles,” says Ropitsch.

Innovative Approach

WORTREICH does not rely on pre-designed exercises but aims to provide children with playful access to language.

“Language and language acquisition always mean empowerment for communication – the ability to express oneself. Stories and books play a central role in this process, particularly in the development of reading and writing skills and later literacy. However, it is not just about children listening to stories; it is about encouraging them to think, reflect, develop ideas further, and even philosophize.”

“Only when a topic is personally meaningful to children will the content truly resonate, and talking about it becomes enjoyable,” says Ropitsch.

In addition, the daycare centers have access to a mobile recording studio that was purchased before the project began. With it, children can produce their own audio plays, music pieces, or short films – an offering that playfully fosters technical interest while strengthening their enjoyment of language.

Project Successfully Underway

Educational professionals from the ten participating daycare centers report positive developments. Deborah Schmierer, a specialist in language education, emphasizes: “In everyday educational practice, there is often too little time for targeted observation of language development. Through WORTREICH, I now have the opportunity to respond more individually to the children and to introduce new impulses within the team.”

The collaboration with project staff is also perceived as enriching. “The project specialist brings new ideas into the team and at the same time has an ear for our everyday challenges. That is very motivating,” says Tina Däuber, an educational professional.

Judith Maurmann, also part of the team, praises the integration into daily routines: “I appreciate that the project specialist does not separate the children but works with them directly within their everyday environment.”

Project Goals

A well-founded language education concept in daycare aims to support children in their individual language development and to provide targeted encouragement. Through everyday impulses, children are motivated to participate more actively in conversations and to further develop their language skills. Developmental pathways vary from child to child. The task of educational professionals is to recognize these differences and respond to them individually. For example, one child may need targeted support in language comprehension, while another may be guided in expanding vocabulary and developing linguistic concepts further..