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Children who started school during the Covid-19 pandemic may be experiencing lasting setbacks in their ability to self-regulate and adapt to new situations.
A major new study involving Dr Samuel Forbes from our Department of Psychology has revealed that the pandemic significantly disrupted the development of children's executive function skills.
These skills form the foundation for self-regulation, focus, flexible thinking and problem‑solving. They play a crucial role in helping young children manage their behaviour, follow routines and thrive in busy classroom environments.
Reception-aged children hardest hit
The study found the greatest impact fell on children who were in reception when the first national lockdowns began in 2020. These early schooling years are a stage when children typically learn to socialise, build friendships, and adjust to school structures.
These children showed much slower growth in self‑regulation and cognitive flexibility over time compared to peers who were in preschool when the pandemic struck. Many may still be experiencing the effects years later.
A unique opportunity
The research team had a unique opportunity: they were already following a group of 139 children, aged between two‑and‑a‑half and six‑and‑a‑half, as part of a long-term study into early development.
Crucially, 94 families had joined the study before the pandemic, giving researchers a rare baseline of children's abilities.
This allowed the team to track precisely how development changed during and after lockdowns. Children were assessed at regular intervals using the Minnesota Executive Function Scale, a standardised measure of key cognitive skills.
Crucial self-regulation skills
Researchers found children who were in reception when Covid lockdowns began showed markedly slower development in key self-regulation skills.
They found it more difficult to switch between tasks and control impulses - abilities that typically improve rapidly in the first year of school.
Disrupted routines, limited social interaction, and fewer opportunities to learn classroom norms meant these children missed crucial early experiences that support confidence and cognitive growth.
Higher rates of Covid illness among this group may also have compounded the challenges they faced.
The study also found that early strengths in executive function tended to persist: children who showed strong skills at two-and-a-half continued to perform well years later.
Even when age and family background were taken into account, children who were in reception when the pandemic began made more modest progress than their preschool counterparts. This highlights the vital role of peer socialisation and the self‑regulatory skills typically developed during the reception year.
What this means for the future
The study highlights a generation of children who may require additional support from teachers, schools, and health services in the coming years.
It also prompts important questions about how best to protect children's development during any future national emergencies.
