Development of Young Children ‘Regressed’ During COVID Lockdowns – Report

The development of some young children ‘regressed’ during periods of COVID lockdown, according to a government report.

Children in the UK have faced ‘delayed’ development as a result of harsh COVID restrictions, while others even saw their development regress during periods of lockdown, a government report has found.

The findings match up with those from other studies conducted in other parts of the world, with one study in Germany finding that the reading ability of 4th graders had fallen significantly since before the Chinese Coronavirus pandemic.

According to the report by UK education ministry Ofsted, young children have been most affected by coronavirus restrictions, with their development being delayed and even regressing in a variety of ways.

“Today’s report finds that the pandemic has continued to affect young children’s communication and language development, with many providers noticing delays in speech and language,” the report reads. “Others said babies have struggled to respond to basic facial expressions, which may be due to reduced social interaction during the pandemic.”- READ MORE