School game

Playfully recognize school readiness

The school play is a central element of school entry diagnostics in NRW. It usually takes place as part of school registration and offers Grundschulen the opportunity to get to know future first graders in a playful way and assess their development.

Objective

The school game has several objectives:

  • Assessment of school readiness: It's not about performance, but about observation. What skills does a child have? Where is there a need for support?

  • Individual support: Early indications of developmental needs enable targeted support - even before the child starts school.

  • Interlocking with the daycare center: Observations from the school play supplement the assessments of the daycare facilities and are incorporated into the school readiness profile.

Procedure and design

The school game usually lasts about an hour and takes place in small groups (4-6 children). The children go through several stations with playful tasks. These are often embedded in a child-friendly story (e.g. an imaginary journey through an enchanted forest).

Typical stations and tasks:

  • Motor skills: Balancing, jumping, cutting, painting

  • Language: Clapping syllables, telling picture stories, recognizing rhymes

  • Perception: Recognizing colors and shapes, tracing patterns

  • Mathematics: Counting, recording quantities, organizing numbers

  • Social behavior: Ability to work in a group, concentration, independence

  • Cognitive skills: Logical thinking, memory, task comprehension

The tasks are designed to arouse children's curiosity and at the same time make important skills visible.

Observation and evaluation

Teachers and educational staff observe the children using structured criteria. The observations flow into a School readiness profile which covers the following areas of expertise:

  • Motor skills (gross and fine motor skills)

  • Perception (visual, auditory)

  • Social and personal skills

  • Dealing with tasks (e.g. perseverance, concentration)

  • Elementary knowledge (e.g. numeracy, language skills)

The profile serves as a basis for discussions with parents/guardians and, if necessary, for coordination with the daycare center or the health department.

The school play is part of the school's responsibility in the context of school enrolment. It is based on recommendations from the NRW Ministry of Schools and Education and is closely linked to the education agreement between the state and daycare associations.
The school medical examination supplements the school play with medical aspects such as vision and hearing, speech development and general health.

What happens afterwards?

  • Inconspicuous observations: A short feedback will be given.

  • Conspicuous features: This is followed by counseling sessions and, if necessary, recommendations for support measures.

  • Transparency: It is possible to inspect the observations and clarify questions at any time.

Why is the school game important?
The school game creates a smooth transition from nursery to school. It helps to understand children better, build trust and personalize the start of school - with the aim of supporting each child in the best possible way.