On gaps and bridges: Continuous language support from pre-school and school perspectives

The higher education development project  «bisKidS» at Bern University of Teacher Education documented, for teaching purposes at the Institute of Primary Education and the Institute of Special Education, whether and how professionals in Bernese daycare centres (‘Kitas’), playgroups and the first cycle of formal schooling use everyday situations for integrated language support. The study also explored perceptions of professional roles in relation to using everyday interactions as opportunities to support language development. A special focus was placed on comparing professionals from daycare centres and playgroups with kindergarten teachers, as early years professionals and kindergarten teachers differ in terms of institutional conditions, training and pedagogical beliefs. 
This article focuses on data gathered by means of a questionnaire which was conducted as part of the project. Its aim was to understand to what extent assessments of which situations are (or can be) used for integrating language support in everyday contexts align or diverge.