Submitted by Candy Tingstad.
For many infants, toddlers and preschoolers, the two years of relative isolation was a loss in significant ways. Babies, who learn language and social cues from facial expressions, saw new faces only with masks on. Toddlers were often denied interaction with same aged children. Two to five year olds spent more time with screen media (TV, videos, iPads and even phones) than ever before. Are they smart, yes, do they come to school with possible deficits, for many, yes.
Some preschool teachers observed last fall that it took longer to gain attention, gather children in a group, guide children to share and care, and even cut with scissors. Children can use smart phones, but can they hold a pencil or cut with scissors as well as children 3 years ago. Small muscle skills are vital for many life tasks. Will they catch up? With exposure to skill building activities and peer interactions, yes.
This writer is a believer in the benefits of quality early childhood education. Preschool is a path to success in school. ABCs and 123s are part of the key to readiness. Learning to share, care, ask thoughtful questions, communicate with teachers and peers, explore the world of science, and joys of music, taking turns, independently washing hands, picking up toys with others, all lead to a good start to school, and life.
Your choices are varied: Preschool, HeadStart/ECEAP (income dependent), quality childcare program.
Among your options for quality, please see LCOPPreschool.com website
THANK YOU Candy Tingstad; so important. When our “National Childhood Advantage” matches our National Defense, America will truly be a Great Nation.
Thank you for reminding us of the very real social, emotional, physical and intellectual growth and development our children missed due to a pandemic; an example of cause/effect. Teachers, counselors, school administrators and child development experts across the country are reporting that covid recovery will take years for students of all ages; our school employees are on the front-lines dealing with these serious issues. Think of them as first responders assessing what is needed and providing help. How does a community show support? We need to be asking, listening and acting.
Damned funny how the “smartest” most-educated people got it so wrong, causing this great harm to so many, and then proceeded to cover it all up.
They still are covering and hiding known-facts from we the people, about origin, “vaccine”, natural imunity, and a number of other things that add up to crimes against humanity.
How could the “smart educated people” forget that a child needs face-time to learn effectively?
Seems on a lot of levels, today’s educated folks, having access to unlimited information, aren’t as smart as they used to be.
Or maybe something far more sinister is in play?
Ballistically speaking, our trajectory would indicate that as the target.
Unfortunately, it was government policy which unnecessarily fettered our children in isolation during COVID. This was another case of government letting the exception rule instead of ruling by exception. Instead of protecting the most vulnerable to COVID draconian measures were mandated for all regardless of their vulnerability to include our children. So children spent the better part of 2 years isolated and out of school with all the academic, intellectual, emotional and mental health impacts that isolation caused despite warnings which for the most part were ignored. Now the problem creator, government, wants to be the solver of the problem they created? Before you fall for the unqualified endorsement of pre-school take a look at the pros and cons (they exist) to pre-school.
Same government mentality is being applied today, as I write, to the right to self-defense, privacy, and freedom of expression.
Unqualified “selected” leaders are putting forth policy and law to strip us of those basic rights and much more, by as John said, “letting the exception rule”.
When’s the last time you saw a “selected” leader create freedom without stripping away that of another? Yeah, think hard.
As the truth starts to come out we see that those in government saw COVID as an opportunity to lie about the source, its severity, “protective” measures as an exercise in getting the population to give up fundamental freedoms in exchange for alleged safety. “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” Benjamin Franklin.