Covid pandemic impacted children's ability to 'self-regulate'- UEA research
The University of East Anglia says pupils in reception when the first lockdowns began have been impacted the mostAuthor: Tom ClabonPublished 5 hours agoLast updated 4 hours agoThe University of East Anglia's warning that a generation of young people might need extra help and support.It comes after researchers there found that the Covid pandemic has impacted children's ability to self-regulate.The greatest impact was seen among pupils who were in reception when the first lockdowns began- according to this study."Reception is a critical year for peer socialisation"Lead researcher Prof John Spencer, from UEA’s School of Psychology, said: “Children who were in reception when the country shut down showed much slower growth in key self-regulation and cognitive flexibility skills over the next few years than children who were still in preschool.“These children found it harder to shift between tasks and control impulses - abilities that usually improve rapidly once children enter structured school environments.“Reception is a critical year for peer socialisation,” said Prof Spencer.“It’s when children learn classroom norms and build early friendships that shape their confidence,” said Prof Spencer.“But for the cohort who started school in 2020, classrooms were closed, routines collapsed overnight, and opportunities for social interaction were severely limited.“Our findings suggest that peer socialisation and the new self-regulatory skills children must master in reception might be particularly critical for the development of executive function skills.“Without these experiences, reception children had a challenging time developing self-regulation and cognitive flexibility in the years that followed the pandemic".Possible next steps from this:The researchers say their work highlights a generation of children who may need more support from teachers, schools and health services in coming years.The findings also raise questions about how to protect children’s development in future national emergencies.This research was led by the University of East Anglia, in collaboration with Lancaster University and Durham University.First for all the latest news from across the UK every hour on Hits Radio on DAB, at hitsradio.co.uk and on the Rayo app.
