The Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on babies starting school now. A study conducted at London’s City University, alongside five other English universities, is examining the effects of lockdown on nearly 200 “lockdown babies” by assessing their language and cognitive skills. Professor Lucy Howell from the university said it was not clear if the lockdowns had negatively affected the children’s learning abilities but the contentious factor was who had been impacted and how to assist the children’s development as they embark on their academic lives.
A survey conducted at the University of Leeds found the reduced interaction with family members and the inability to access medical services was having a pronounced and lasting impact on the speech and language of some children. One of the families affected was twins Aqil and Fawaz, who were eight weeks old when the pandemic started. Their mother, Fahmeda Ahmed, said that her family’s interaction with the outside world was minimal because of lockdowns, and as a result, both now have speech and language challenges.
Additionally, many of the safety nets for families like Fahmeda’s were taken away during the pandemic. According to a report, in June, 22,952 children in England were waiting up to 52 weeks for a speech and language therapy appointment, while 5,832 children were waiting wait over a year. One-third of pre-schoolers (34%) at Elizabeth Selby had speech and language needs during the last academic year, up from a quarter (25%) in 2020. This year, the school has had to hire a speech and language therapist for its pre-school class for the first time.
Nevertheless, there have been positive stories, such as the case of Elijah, who spent his first months of life with only his parents because of the lockdown. His first meetings with family members were all on Zoom, and “he wasn’t really paying much attention,” according to his mother. However, Elijah’s parents volunteered to be part of the Bicycle (Born in Covid Year, Core Lockdown Effects) study to help researchers understand the impact of the pandemic on babies. It is hoped that the results of the study will help to determine how best to support the academic development of children affected by future lockdowns
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