Peer-reviewed article
School Readiness, Learning Challenges, and Lifestyle Changes Among Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Goulet-Pelletier JC, Collet OA, Loose T, Haeck C, Larose S et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This longitudinal study followed 3,871 children from kindergarten in 2017 through 2022 to understand how school readiness vulnerabilities, learning difficulties during COVID-19, and lifestyle changes affected later academic achievement. Children who started school with readiness vulnerabilities experienced greater learning difficulties during the pandemic, which partially explained their lower academic achievement after the crisis ended. The research suggests that monitoring learning difficulties during educational disruptions is more important than relying only on early warning signs.
Key points
- Children with early school readiness vulnerabilities experienced significantly greater learning difficulties during COVID-19
- Learning difficulties during the pandemic partially mediated the relationship between early vulnerabilities and later academic achievement
- Lifestyle disruptions during COVID-19 were not significantly greater for children with early vulnerabilities
- The study controlled for child sex, age, native language, and cumulative socioeconomic risk
- Timely educational support during disruptions is needed, not just reliance on preexisting vulnerability indicators
Limitations
The document does not specify the country or countries where the study was conducted, making it unclear how findings generalize geographically. It does not detail the specific interventions tested or provide information about whether results differed across different populations or educational systems.
Abstract
Background The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted schooling worldwide. While there is evidence of declines in academic performance, the links between early vulnerabilities in school readiness, learning difficulties, and lifestyle changes during the pandemic and their impact on postcrisis academic achievement are not well understood. Methods This longitudinal study followed 3871 children across three time points over 6 years (50.3% boys). In 2017, teachers assessed children's school readiness at kindergarten. In 2021, parents assessed the impact of COVID-19 on their child's learning difficulties and lifestyle changes. In 2022, teachers assessed children's academic achievement. Results Structural equation modeling showed that children with school readiness vulnerabilities experienced greater learning difficulties during the pandemic, but not significantly greater lifestyle disruptions. Learning difficulties partially mediated the association between school readiness vulnerabilities and lower postcrisis academic achievement. Analyses were adjusted for child sex, age, native language, and cumulative socioeconomic risk. Implications for school health policy, practice, and equity Support systems should monitor learning difficulties that emerge during periods of educational disruption and not rely solely on preexisting indicators of vulnerability. Conclusion Learning difficulties during the pandemic emerged as a distinct predictor of later academic achievement, emphasizing the need for timely educational support during periods of disruption.