CHANDLER, AZ — Friday marks the final day of a summer program designed to help Chandler Unified students prepare for kindergarten this fall. These children, all born during the pandemic, are part of a generation that educators say struggles with social development due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The program aims to help incoming kindergarteners get ready for the school year, learning about different routines that will help them get prepared for years to come in education.
Chandler Unified educators told ABC15 that they’ve seen a difference in kids who had their early developmental years during the pandemic lockdowns versus kids who grew up before that.
First grade teacher Valerie Nikolaus said students who come to her post-pandemic are better in academics since their parents were at home to help teach them. However, their social skills are different. Some reports indicate these young students often lag behind socially compared to pre-pandemic cohorts.
“It’s a challenge sometimes because they’re used to having somebody around all the time, and they’re not often being challenged to, ‘Oh, why don’t you find something to do yourself,” she continued. “It’s a lot of one-on-one time and when you get to school, you’re sharing a teacher with 18 other kids.”
Educators at the summer program have been working to help these children develop the social and academic skills needed for success in kindergarten, which school begins in less than a month for Chandler Unified School District.
Parents enrolled their children in this prep program, hoping to give them an advantage before school begins, recognizing the unique challenges faced by children whose early development occurred during unprecedented social restrictions.
For parents Andrea Osteen-Chinn and Marcus Chinn, they put their incoming kindergartener in the program for three weeks and saw a difference.
“It’s been really cool, seeing her be independent,” Marcus said.
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