Parental Cognitive Stimulation of Young Children Before and After the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Abstract

Objectives: Much research has documented disruptions to parent well-being and family functioning because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, but little is known about how parents' provision of cognitive stimulation to young children has been affected. This question is of added importance for families with low incomes, who were disproportionately disadvantaged by the pandemic. The current study examined whether and how provision of cognitive stimulation at home, as measured by the parent-reported StimQ2, changed for parents with low incomes after onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined scores on a total scale and subscales tapping multiple aspects of verbal responsivity and reading.

Design: Data from 7 cohorts of families with low incomes across 3 US cities were de-identified and combined into a single analytic sample for secondary analysis. Cohorts ranged in timing relative to the onset of the pandemic (i.e., as early as 2015 and as late as April 2023). Each study contributed data from families assessed at multiple timepoints between birth and age 4 years.

Results: Total scores on the StimQ2 increased after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Subscales reflecting reading stayed the same (quantity) or declined (quality), whereas subscales reflecting verbal responsivity increased.

Conclusion: Relative to prepandemic levels, low-income parents' child-directed speech and responsivity increased postpandemic, but the quantity of parent-child reading was unchanged and its quality declined. Findings suggest the possibility of stability or improvement among parents with low incomes during the pandemic and opportunities for intervention.