"Covid toddlers" -- kids who were two years old in March 2020 -- were more likely to be unprepared for kindergarten in fall 2023 reports Kara Arundel for K-12 Dive.
"Early elementary schoolchildren, who were ages 1-4 in spring 2020 when COVID-19 shut down schools and early learning programs, are continuing to show a lack of school readiness in math and reading skills," according to a Curriculum Associates report.
More children are "coming to school less prepared, lagging behind expectations, and showing limited signs of recovery, particularly in math,” said Kristin Huff of Curriculum Associates, which administers the i-Ready Diagnostic.
"A bright spot in the report was the increase in phonics performance for reading across all grade levels, with fall 2023 performances making a climb toward pre-pandemic levels," writes Arundel.
However, math achievement, which was down in 2022, did not improve in 2023. In first grade, 87.6 percent of students tested one or two grade levels behind in number and operation skills; 83 percent of second graders tested one or two grades behind.