Left-leaning researchers say former infants and toddlers are “falling behind academically and developmentally” after governments ordered lockdowns, isolating people at home, closing schools, shuttering mass businesses and triggering a range of psychological crises during the coronavirus pandemic. The New York Times report on monday.
Times — was in support of closing schools, Infant masks recommended The report interviewed more than 20 teachers, pediatricians and early childhood experts during the pandemic and concluded that the complete upside-down transformation of society during the pandemic has actually hurt young children and caused them to “struggle” to be positive. Experts quoted in the report said: “It’s about developing age-appropriate skills, like being able to hold a pencil, communicate what they need, identify shapes and letters, manage their emotions, and solve problems with their peers.”
“I think kids born then definitely had some developmental challenges compared to previous years,” said Dr. James Peterson, a pediatrician at Oregon Health & Science University who studies kindergarten readiness. “We asked kids to wear masks, not to see adults, not to play with other kids. We completely cut off that interaction, and kids can’t get that time back.”
Times While the negative effects of the pandemic and school closures on older children are well documented, the impact on those not yet in school is “in some ways surprising,” the researchers noted. Times The researchers noted that young children, whose early years are the most critical for brain development, are being affected by parental stress, reduced social contact, fewer preschoolers and increased screen time during the pandemic.
Joel Ryan, who works for Washington state’s Head Start and state preschool network, said young children represent a “pandemic tsunami” hitting the U.S. education system. Ryan said he has seen an increase in language delays and behavioral problems.
Brooke Allen, a kindergarten teacher for 11 years in Martin, Tennessee, said this year, for the first time, she has some students who can barely speak, aren’t potty trained or don’t have the motor skills to hold a pencil.
Michaela Frederick, a kindergarten teacher who teaches to students with learning disabilities in Sharon, Tennessee, told the magazine that she doesn’t see young children engaging in imaginative play or seeking out other children like they used to.
“She had to replace small building materials in the classroom with larger, softer blocks because students’ fine motor skills were not yet developed enough to handle the blocks,” the report said.
Lyssa O’Rourke, a kindergarten teacher in St. Augustine, Florida, said she’s noticed young children having trouble regulating their emotions.
“He was flipping chairs, throwing things and hitting his classmates and teachers,” she said.
Heidi Tringali, a pediatric occupational therapist in Charlotte, North Carolina, told the magazine that she and her colleagues “They have deficits in vision, core strength, social skills, attention, everything.”
“You can really see the difference when they’re not playing outside,” she said.
Times The report concludes that “it is too early to know whether young children will suffer long-term effects from the pandemic, but researchers say there is reason to be optimistic.”
“It’s absolutely possible to catch up if you address it early,” said Dr. Dani Dumitriou, a pediatrician and neuroscientist at Columbia University and director of the Pandemic Newborn Study. “There’s nothing deterministic about the 6-month-old brain.”
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X. Follow.
