during the pandemic — interviewed more than two dozen teachers, pediatricians, and early childhood experts to conclude that the complete upending of society during the pandemic did, in fact, harm young children, leaving them “struggling,” moving forward. The experts cited in the report “depicted a generation less likely
Joel Ryan, who works with a network of Head Start and state preschool centers in Washington State, said the youngest children represent a “pandemic tsunami” headed for the education system in the United States. Ryan said he has seen an increase in speech delays and behavioral problems. “She’s had to replace small building materials in her classroom with big soft blocks because students’ fine motor skills weren’t developed enough to manipulate them,” the report reads.