Pandemic babies and toddlers struggle in school, research suggests

KAREN D'SOUZA

Pandemic babies, toddlers and preschoolers are now becoming school-age, and the impact of Covid disruptions on them has become undeniable. Many show signs of being developmentally behind, The New York Times reported, which hurts academic ability.

Early childhood experts, teachers and parents describe a generation less likely to have age-appropriate skills such as being able to hold a pencil, communicate their needs, identify shapes and letters, manage their emotions and solve problems with peers.

Scientific evidence suggests the stress and isolation of the pandemic has affected some young children’s early development and that boys may have been more affected than girls, studies have found.

“I definitely think children born then have had developmental challenges compared to prior years,” said Dr. Jaime Peterson, a pediatrician at Oregon Health and Science University, whose research is on kindergarten readiness. “We asked them to wear masks, not see adults, not play with kids. We really severed those interactions, and you don’t get that time back for kids.”

The early years, particularly the first five, are most critical for brain development. Many aspects of pandemic disruptions severely impacted young children, experts say, including parental stress, less exposure to people, more time on screens and less time playing, the traditional province of childhood.

The littlest learners represent “a pandemic tsunami” headed for the American education system, said Joel Ryan, who works with a network of Head Start and state preschool centers in Washington state, where he reports a spike in speech delays and behavior issues, the Times reported.

https://edsource.org/updates/pandemic-babies-and-toddlers-struggle-in-school-research-suggests