Children’s language skills ‘plummet during lockdown’: Number of four and five year olds needing help at school soars by 25% in a year, says research
- Data from Speech Link which looked at 50,000 children revealed that there had been an increase of 25% in the number of four and five years olds needing help
- New research suggests measures such as social distancing, lack of contact with friends and family and the wearing of face masks has impacted language skills
- Government says it has made £18million available to provide targeted support
Young children’s language skills have been impacted by the pandemic as the number of students needing help at school has soared, new research has shown.
The data from a company called Speech Link – used by schools to assess children’s language skills – shows that the number of four and five year olds needing help at school has risen by 25 per cent when compared to 2019.
The data is based on a study 50,000 children from primary schools in England and is reflected in findings by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), according to the BBC.
Research shows social distancing measures, lack of contact with family and friends and the wearing of face masks may all have had a detrimental impact on young children’s language skills.
In March 2020, schools and nurseries were closed as the country battled to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Research has revealed the number of four and five year olds requiring help with their language skills at schools across England soared by 25 per cent last year compared to the previous year
They reopened from June to September but concerns were raised about the impact home-schooling and a lack of interaction had had on pupils.
During the second wave of the virus, schools were again closed in December and January, with only key worker children being permitted to attend classrooms.
Primary schools in England did not reopen until March 8.
Data from the Office of National Statistics showed more than half of parents with school-aged children said a child in their household was struggling to continue their education while at home during the first lockdown.
Just over three in four of these parents gave lack of motivation as one of the reasons.
As part of a survey carried out by the EEF, 76 per cent of schools said pupils starting in September 2020 needed more support with communication than in previous years.
Meanwhile 96 per cent said they were concerned about their students’ speech and language development, the BBC reports.
The Government says £18million has been made available to help provide targeted support for early years development, according to the BBC.
The Government has said it has made £18million available to help provide targeted support
EEF chief executive Prof Becky Francis told the corporation there was ‘huge concern expressed by schools about young children’s speech and language following the impact of the pandemic’.
The research is just the latest study to look at how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted the country’s youngest children.
Earlier this month, scientists found one in five primary school children were afraid to leave their own home.
The researchers also found that many children are afraid that they will not have enough food to eat at home as a result of the ongoing Covid-19 lockdown.
Scientists at the University of Oxford are seeking to assess the impact the unusual situation is having on the mental health of children.
More than half of younger children are worried that a friend or a relative might pick up the virus.
The researchers questioned 1,500 parents who revealed one-third of their children were concerned about catching the disease.
Almost a quarter feared passing on the virus while two fifths were worried about missing school work.