Teacher-Child Contact and Pre-Kindergartener’s Academic and Social-Emotional Skills Following COVID-19 Disruptions

Following a significant natural event (e.g., SARS-CoV-2, Hurricane Katrina), some young children adapted effectively while others face academic and social-emotional challenges (Goenjian et al., American Journal of Psychiatry 162(12) (2005)); (Joo & Lee, Child Indicators Research, 15 (2022)); (Stark et al., Psychological Trauma: Theory Research Practice and Policy, 12(S1) 2020); children from groups that are historically and institutionally marginalized are at greater risk of experiencing negative outcomes than their majority peers. This descriptive study addressed three primary questions: (1) Did the effects of COVID-19 disruptions on pre-kindergartener’s academic, social, and behavioral skills differ by racial/ethnic status?; (2) Were student-teacher contact and learning supports/barriers associated with young children’s academic, social, and behavioral skills during COVID-19 disruptions? Did these associations differ by racial/ethnic status?; and (3) Was there evidence of academic, social, and/or behavioral “recovery” among study participants during their kindergarten year? Data were collected from 108 pre-kindergarten children’s teachers via online surveys. Teachers reported no contact with 11% and frequent contact with 37.4% of students after in-person classroom instruction ceased. Common types of contact were in-person video-chats and pre-recorded lessons. Children from groups that are historically and institutionally marginalized more frequently had no contact with their teachers and fewer in-person video-chats and pre-recorded lessons. Teachers also reported access to learning materials, technology, and parent engagement/support was lower for children from historically and institutionally marginalized groups. A second wave of data collection revealed children had significant improvements in language and social skills from pre-kindergarten to elementary and small declines in behavior problems. Findings offer evidence that children from groups that are historically and institutionally marginalized received fewer learning supports immediately following COVID-19 disruptions but that primary-school teachers made a concerted effort to engage all children in positive learning experiences and frequent contact, serving as a protective factor against the potential negative impact that COVID-19 disruptions had on children’s learning and development.