For Massachusetts families, early educators provide a critical pandemic support

A new report from Harvard draws data from families and early educators in its ongoing Early Learning Study of Massachusetts to describe child wellbeing in the pandemic, and to identify the supports that are critical in allowing families to cope. The report acknowledges the significant damage the pandemic has wrought to children’s socio-emotional wellbeing and suggests that while recovering from academic losses is important, attention must also be paid to the social and interpersonal context in which learning occurs. More than half of participating educators said they’ve noticed child behavioral change in the pandemic, although increased demonstrations of child resiliency were sometimes part of this documented shift. The report finds that early educators serve as a resource and support for children, while families draw strength from enhanced opportunities for togetherness. #covid-19 #education