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Tracing the Impact of COVID-19 on Early Language and Literacy Development from Pre-K through First Grade

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Title: Tracing the Impact of COVID-19 on Early Language and Literacy Development from Pre-K through First Grade
Language: English
Authors: Elizabeth Burke Hadley (ORCID 0000-0002-2880-6175), Siyu Liu, Eunsook Kim (ORCID 0000-0003-1054-1735), Meaghan McKenna, Katharine Hull
Source: AERA Open. 2025 11(1).
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 22
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Preschool Education
Elementary Education
Kindergarten
Primary Education
Grade 1
Descriptors: COVID-19, Pandemics, Language Acquisition, Literacy, Preschool Education, Kindergarten, Grade 1, Educational Change, School Districts, Emergent Literacy, Young Children, Distance Education, Preschool Children, Student Characteristics, Skill Development, In Person Learning, Achievement Tests, Institutional Characteristics
Geographic Terms: Florida
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: Measures of Academic Progress
ISSN: 2332-8584
Abstract: COVID-19 disrupted early educational experiences for a generation of children, but research on how missing school impacted academic development for young children is limited. This paper investigated the longitudinal impact of COVID-19 on the language and literacy development of children in a Florida school district, specifically following children who were in pre-K in March 2020 through the end of first grade. This COVID-19 cohort (n = 1,167) was compared with a pre-COVID-19 cohort (n = 1,211) using propensity score matching, multilevel regression models, and linear growth modeling. Results indicated that the negative impacts of COVID-19 on language and literacy emerged late and increased over time for young children but were not driven primarily by remote learning. Young children showed especially severe learning loss in unconstrained literacy skills (e.g., comprehension) versus constrained skills (e.g., phonics). COVID-19 impacts were not moderated by child characteristics (e.g., poverty or race/ethnicity).
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1494455
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Tracing the Impact of COVID-19 on Early Language and Literacy Development from Pre-K through First Grade
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Elizabeth+Burke+Hadley%22">Elizabeth Burke Hadley</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2880-6175">0000-0002-2880-6175</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Siyu+Liu%22">Siyu Liu</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Eunsook+Kim%22">Eunsook Kim</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1054-1735">0000-0003-1054-1735</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Meaghan+McKenna%22">Meaghan McKenna</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Katharine+Hull%22">Katharine Hull</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22AERA+Open%22"><i>AERA Open</i></searchLink>. 2025 11(1).
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  Data: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
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  Data: 22
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Early+Childhood+Education%22">Early Childhood Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Preschool+Education%22">Preschool Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Education%22">Elementary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Kindergarten%22">Kindergarten</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Primary+Education%22">Primary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+1%22">Grade 1</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22COVID-19%22">COVID-19</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pandemics%22">Pandemics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+Acquisition%22">Language Acquisition</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Literacy%22">Literacy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Preschool+Education%22">Preschool Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Kindergarten%22">Kindergarten</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+1%22">Grade 1</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Change%22">Educational Change</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Districts%22">School Districts</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Emergent+Literacy%22">Emergent Literacy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Young+Children%22">Young Children</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Distance+Education%22">Distance Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Preschool+Children%22">Preschool Children</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Characteristics%22">Student Characteristics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Skill+Development%22">Skill Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22In+Person+Learning%22">In Person Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Achievement+Tests%22">Achievement Tests</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Institutional+Characteristics%22">Institutional Characteristics</searchLink>
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  Data: 2332-8584
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
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  Data: COVID-19 disrupted early educational experiences for a generation of children, but research on how missing school impacted academic development for young children is limited. This paper investigated the longitudinal impact of COVID-19 on the language and literacy development of children in a Florida school district, specifically following children who were in pre-K in March 2020 through the end of first grade. This COVID-19 cohort (n = 1,167) was compared with a pre-COVID-19 cohort (n = 1,211) using propensity score matching, multilevel regression models, and linear growth modeling. Results indicated that the negative impacts of COVID-19 on language and literacy emerged late and increased over time for young children but were not driven primarily by remote learning. Young children showed especially severe learning loss in unconstrained literacy skills (e.g., comprehension) versus constrained skills (e.g., phonics). COVID-19 impacts were not moderated by child characteristics (e.g., poverty or race/ethnicity).
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: EJ1494455
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    Languages:
      – Text: English
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        PageCount: 22
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: COVID-19
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Pandemics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Language Acquisition
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Literacy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Preschool Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Kindergarten
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grade 1
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      – SubjectFull: Educational Change
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      – SubjectFull: School Districts
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      – SubjectFull: Emergent Literacy
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      – SubjectFull: Young Children
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Distance Education
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      – SubjectFull: Preschool Children
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      – SubjectFull: Student Characteristics
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      – SubjectFull: Skill Development
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      – SubjectFull: In Person Learning
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Achievement Tests
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      – SubjectFull: Institutional Characteristics
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      – SubjectFull: Florida
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Measures of Academic Progress
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    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Tracing the Impact of COVID-19 on Early Language and Literacy Development from Pre-K through First Grade
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