Project TschAu

Test Diagnostics of Written Expression

According to educational standards, the ability to write a text is viewed as a core competence goal of early education. However, some children find it difficult to write down their thoughts correctly regarding grammar, content, and structural composition. With the introduction of the ICD-11, such persistent and severe learning difficulties are now categorized in Germany as a “disorder of written expression”. This particular kind of learning disorder is characterized by severe and persistent difficulties in producing written texts. While standardized tests of written expression are already widely established in English-speaking regions, there is currently no equivalent test for reliable written expression assessment in German.

Therefore, the project aims to develop a standardized achievement test for students in grades three to six, based on evidence-based theories of written expression development in order to enable valid and reliable assessment thereof. In the course of test development, we intend to pay particular attention to sufficient differentiation on the lower performance range and test fairness for children with German as second language. Moreover, the test is expected to provide teachers with valuable information for individual support of students.

Selected Publications

Brandenburg, J., Huschka, S. S., Visser, L., Cartschau, F. & von Goldammer, A. (in press). Wie fair testet der WÜRT 1 die Rechtschreibleistungen bei mehrsprachigen Kindern? Eine Überprüfung mittels Differential Item Functioning. Diagnostica.

Miller, L., & Mähler, C. (2023). Methoden der primären Legasthenieprävention im Anfangsunterricht Deutsch: Evaluation eines Fibelansatzes. Frühe Bildung, 12(1), 39-47.