DEVELOPMENT ON A DOWNTURN
Children Around the World and the Effect COVID-19 has had on Their Development
PROBLEM
A lack in social growth for children around the world amidst a pandemic
The problem that I am looking into is what the pandemic has done psychologically to children from the age of 4-8. In the important years of social growth, children in this age range have been forced to learn from home and discontinue in person learning. This a major problem because those early years of development are so important for children and being stuck in a home environment 24/7 for almost a year may cause difficulties. It will be impossible to know what consequences this year of COVID-19 will do to children (including 2 of my brothers), but this will definitely be a major problem and I intend to dive into it.
RESEARCH
LEARNING CRISIS
"he potential losses that may accrue in learning for today’s young generation, and for the development of their human capital, are hard to fathom." 188 countries have imposed countrywide school closures during the pandemic. Affecting more than than 1.6 billion children.
ONLINE ISSUES
At least 463 million (31%) children worldwide cannot be reached by digital and broadcast remote learning programs. That actual number is likely much higher than what this estimate shows.
GOVERNMENT HELP NOT ENOUGH
"Though national governments around the world have been quick to implement remote learning, new health protocols and reopening plans, these policies have varied widely based on each country’s wealth. Schoolchildren in the poorest countries have already lost nearly four months of schooling since the start of the pandemic, compared to six weeks in high-income countries. Even short disruptions in children’s schooling can have long-lasting negative impacts due to factors including the lack of structured programs for catching up. In the past, school closures have led to an increase in child marriage and child labor which often prevent children from continuing their education."
OUTREACH
Interview with Mrs. Louise Kennedy
Mrs. Kennedy works with a small school in the tiny village of Ahero in western Kenya. Over the last three years she has worked with American students to tutor students in the school every day through Skype. She has also worked to provide safe drinking water for the entire village through instillation of a solar well.
QUESTIONS
1. What is school life usually like for the children at the Ahero school?
​
​
​
​
​
2. What is the most difficult part of teaching through Zoom?
​
​
​
​
​
3. What is a brief overview of life for these African Natives since COVID-19 began in March
RESPONSES
"Students in Kenya start life using their local, tribal language. In this case, they speak their tribal language, Luo. As they get older they learn Swahili. Finally, they learn English in school. If you can believe it, the official language of Kenya is English, so you can imagine how important learning it is in order to succeed over there."
"Students in Kenya are used to being told what to do in order to be "right." If you ask a student there "do you know the answer to this math question?" They will say "yes." Instead you have to say to them, "please tell me the answer to the question." It is a cultural difference that is difficult to overcome without in-person teaching."
"The village was hit by a devastating 100-year flood event during lockdown in March. Many of the families lost their homes because they are made of dried mud and animal dung. We were able to build five metal homes after that. We fed the entire village for a month (about 75 people) during that flood event because everything was in chaos with the additional stress of Covid lockdowns."
MEETING WITH MICHELLE NAVARRO
Child Therapist Dr. Michelle Navarro told me these things:
​
she has seen as the biggest problem is the fact that children have lost their peer group at school which has been their hub for social development.
She said that a child’s brain is most malleable and ready to take in information from ages 6-10. Events like parties and school clubs or events are what connect kids and help them make connections.
She said it is also problematic in this age range because this is when kids usually leave the nest and since they aren’t doing that they may become more dependent on their parents.
SOLUTION
_edited.jpg)
Billy's Guide to Making Friends
My 12 page children's book depicts the life of Billy who is a young kid that lived through COVID. He cannot go outside because of the pandemic so he decides to create a short book for kids to follow that allows them to see their friends and play safely. He has 3 steps. Step 1: Safety. Step 2: Distance. And Step 3: Have Fun!