Covid-19 and school closures: is your child’s development falling behind?
- It is well known that fostering children’s curiosity and supporting their learning in the early stages of life is essential to their growth and development
- Therefore, it is no surprise many parents became worried when the Covid-19 pandemic caused a shift to remote learning
It is well known that fostering children’s curiosity and supporting their learning in the early stages of life is essential to their growth and development. Therefore, it is no surprise many parents became worried when the Covid-19 pandemic caused a shift to remote learning.
South China Morning Post's Kindergartens Festival: Future of Education hosted a virtual panel series moderated by Laura Westbrook, Senior Reporter at South China Morning Post, many of these issues are discussed in-depth. Joining in to share their insight and provide advice are: Audrey Tang, Acting Head of School at ESF Hillside International Kindergarten, and Katrina Rozga, Director of Therapy and Counseling at Jadis Blurton Family Development Center (BFDC).
While parents’ concerns about their children’s development is not unprecedented, both Audrey and Katrina share their opinion that children, especially at this young age, are resilient and able to adapt quickly.
Kindergarten is not just for acquiring “hard skills” such as math and reading, but for “soft skills” as well, including lessons about sharing, time management, empathy, social skills, and much more. For parents wish to support both kinds of learning, Audrey and Katrina also suggest using a lot of board games and books, having plenty of conversations and play sessions, and outdoor exercise and interaction.
The most important aspect of schooling for children of a young age is engagement and interaction, which can be promoted at home. While some children may be impacted more than others in terms of development, most children are incredibly buoyant and will bounce back quickly from any small pauses in development.
As a closing piece of advice, it is recommended that parents focus on social skills and lessons surrounding personal growth to ensure that development is still progressing normally on all sides. It is also important to let them use their imaginations, play, and enjoy life as a kid — as Audrey says, “allow them to be a child, and the other things will come.”