When Covid Hit, They Were in Diapers. So Why Are Kindergarteners Struggling?: Highlights to Keep in Mind…

Source: by Matt Barnum on https://www.msn.com

Executive Summary:

This article reports on the findings of a new data analysis that shows that America’s youngest students entered school this year with weaker math and reading skills, compared with before the pandemic. The data comes from a digital test called i-Ready, taken by over a million students in kindergarten through second grade¹. The article explores some possible causes and implications of this decline, such as:

• Lower participation in early-childhood education: Preschool and kindergarten enrollment dropped during the pandemic, which may have affected children’s readiness for school.
• Pandemic-related disruptions in family life: The pandemic caused economic and emotional hardships for many families, which may have affected children’s learning and development at home.
• Statistical artifacts: The data may not be fully representative of the student population, as some more advantaged students may have opted out of the test.
• Challenges for schools and teachers: Schools are facing the dual task of helping older students who fell behind and younger students who started behind². Teachers need more resources and support to provide individualized instruction to their students.
• Budget constraints: Schools may not be able to afford the extra help they need, as federal pandemic-relief funding runs out and some states face budget shortfalls³.