Screening tools for children starting nursery school in Flanders

This project has two main objectives.

(1) Systematic identification, analysis and description of existing screening tools for early language development

(2) Development of a scientifically grounded and practical quality framework for screening early language development in young pre-school children (aged 2.5–3 years).

The project aligns with the Flemish ‘Every Child – Language Hero’ plan, in which the early detection of language delays is a policy priority. The focus is on tools that can be used by nursery teachers, not exclusively by speech and language therapists or CLB staff, for the purpose of identifying language problems, making pedagogical decisions, monitoring development and conducting further diagnostics.

The development of this quality framework is based on four core principles:

Scientific robustness and transparency:

Based on international insights, with criteria for reliability, validity, standardisation, predictive value and cultural sensitivity.

Transparency and transferability explicit criteria and a documented methodology, usable as a reference framework for future evaluations.

Practical applicability for the educational sector taking into account the reality of the nursery classroom, assessment duration, expertise and opportunities for interpretation and follow-up.

Nursery-friendliness takes into account limited attention spans, the need for play-based interactions and natural developmental variation.