Project Wirk-BRISE

Sub-project in the Bremen initiative to strengthen early childhood development

The scientific evaluation accompanying the Bremen Initiative to Strengthen Early Childhood Development (BRISE) systematically examines the effects of early childhood support on child development in a long-term study. Early childhood support for children from socio-economically and culturally disadvantaged families serves to prevent disparities in cognitive and social performance. The experience gained from BRISE should help to support policy makers in providing equal opportunities for all children and in promoting, involving and protecting them in their development.

BRISE is the first long-term study of a large-scale regional support program. Everyday integrated early childhood and pre-school support services, most of which are already available in Bremen, are systematically linked in families and day care centers to form a support chain that begins during pregnancy and extends until the child starts school. The accompanying scientific research funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) over eight years (currently: 3^rd funding phase of BRISE, 2025–2029) investigates the cumulative effects of the support program on the cognitive, social and emotional development of children. Children whose families use the support services in the municipality of Bremen at their own discretion are considered as a comparison group. Over a longer period of time, a total of up to 600 socio-economically and culturally disadvantaged Bremen families will be included in the sample as BRISE families.

In its 2^nd funding phase (2025–2029), the sub-project Wirk-BRISE will examine the effects of the early childhood support chain on the development of basic skills in reading, spelling and arithmetic over the course of the primary school years.

Selected publications

• Schütte, K., Hasselhorn, M. & Köller, O. (Hrsg.) (2024). Bremer Initiative zur Stärkung frühkindlicher Entwicklung (BRISE). (Frühe Bildung, 13 (2), S. 123) Göttingen: Hogrefe.
• Dubowy, M. & Hasselhorn, M. (Hrsg.) (2022). Schulbereitschaft – Perspektiven auf ein multidimensionales Konzept. (Frühe Bildung, Bd. 11, H. 4) Göttingen: Hogrefe
• Schütte, K., Hasselhorn, M. & Köller, O. (2024). Bildungsungleichheit besser verstehen und vermindern: Ansatz und Befunde der Bremer Initiative zur Stärkung frühkindlicher Entwicklung. Frühe Bildung, 13(2), 65–70.