Emotionally Responding to a (Hurricane) Disaster: Short-Term, Long-Term, Adults, and Children

Fight, Flight, Freeze, Resilience, and Resolve

[CLICK HERE to read this Blog on the Project ACHIEVE Webpage]

Dear Colleagues,

Introduction

   A few short weeks ago, Hurricane Ian swept through Florida (and many other states), devastating property and lives.

   While many have directly experienced natural and/or weather-related disasters over the past decade and more, most of us empathetically view the impact from the comfort of our living rooms, moving on when the news cycle recycles.

   And it’s not that we forget or don’t care. It’s just that we become consumed with our own lives, contexts, challenges, and realities.

   But for those at a disaster’s “ground zero,” there are compelling physical, safety, psychological, financial, and other issues related to short- and long-term survival.

   And critically, decisions need to be made.

   But decision-making during a crisis often occurs in the absence of all the needed information.

   Moreover, some of the decisions are made for you—for example, by emergency management teams, law enforcement, FEMA, or insurance companies. Some of the decisions that you can make have limited options or degrees of freedom. And some decisions are made where, in the moment, you cannot fully predict whether they truly are the best decisions.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

In the Eye of the Storm

   While I was not physically present, Hurricane Ian has me closer to a disaster, disaster management, and the decisions above than ever before in my life.

   You see. . . not five days before Hurricane Ian blew through Fort Myers, Florida with its 150+ mile per hour winds and an unimaginable storm surge from the Gulf. . . my wife and I bought a property there, and sold our home in Little Rock.

   When the Hurricane hit, we were still in Little Rock, but one of our sons—who has worked on Sanibel Island for almost 20 years—was in his apartment in Fort Myers near our new home. In addition, many of his friends and colleagues rode out the storm on Sanibel Island, which was virtually destroyed by Ian.

   Fortunately, my son and his friends all survived. . . although some needed to be airlifted from Sanibel because parts of the causeway—the only road connecting the Island to the mainland—were damaged.

   Many of my son’s friends have lost all of their possessions, their homes and cars are total losses, their jobs are gone, and—without electricity and water for many days—their very survival was tested.

   For us, we received notice that our newly purchased home also survived. And now, it seems that a November or December move-in is possible.

   We all are truly blessed. . . but this experience, for me, has been (and continues to be) a case study in how people respond during, immediately after, and over time to a crisis.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The Anatomy of a Natural Disaster

   While there are many ways to “cut the cake,” there are four phases that occur during and after a natural disaster.

   These can be generalized to many other crisis situations—in life, at home, or in a school or educational setting. And for my educational colleagues, these can be applied to ourselves, our colleagues, and especially to our students.

   Relative to the latter, we need to be astute observers and learners because we may not initially or immediately know (a) how long the student has been in crisis; (b) what the crisis—with all its variations and dynamics—entails; and (c) which phase of the crisis the student is in.

   Indeed, there are times when a student’s in-school emotional or behavioral interactions actually represent an out-of-school peer or family-related dilemma or crisis.

   Given everything that has occurred over the past two to three years, the potential that this is true is higher than ever before.

_ _ _ _ _

The Four Phases When Responding to a Natural Disaster

   The four phases when experiencing a natural disaster are:

·       Survival: One’s immediate emotional and behavioral response to a disaster in progress

·       Stabilization: One’s post-event actions focused on continued survival and an initial stabilization of the settings, people, and subsistence 

·       Assessment and Rebuilding: Making decisions—based on resources, time, and personal status and preferences—on how, where, and with whom to rebuild one’s life, home, livelihood, and future 

·       Recognizing and Applying Lessons Learned: Stepping back and reflecting on the personal, familial, professional, and other lessons learned during and after the disaster. . . and applying these to future prevention, preparation, and planned actions.

   Critically, some of these phases will overlap, and their timeframes will differ as a function of the disaster itself and the people and communities that are experiencing them.

   But more important are the emotional and behavioral reactions, responses, and cycles that people experience in the midst of a disaster—individually (adults versus adolescents versus children versus toddlers), and as a function of their life settings (for example, home and family, work and community, school and with friends).

   Significantly, it is important to factor in people’s available resources—for example, their financial resources, as well as their community’s access to resources.

   Let’s be honest.

   People with financial resources can more easily leave the devastation within a disaster area, and rebuild—over time—more quickly than those without.

   And low income communities often receive less immediate disaster response and relief, and less long-term and sustained rebuilding attention and resources.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Riding Out Hurricane Ian: In Little Rock and Fort Myers

   When I watched Hurricane Ian hit Florida’s Gulf Coast on the Weather Channel, my immediate response was to freeze in disbelief.

   I was transfixed by scenes of 150+ mph winds, roofs being blown off buildings, hotels and houses flooded instantaneously by the storm surge, and debris being projected through the air like missiles in a war.

   I also froze because I was powerless. There was nothing that I could do during the storm or its immediate aftermath to protect my newly-acquired home in Florida, or to protect my son who lived there and was riding out the storm.

   But much of my “Ian experience” was vicarious.

_ _ _ _ _

   Survival. As Ian hit Fort Myers, we had limited and spotty cell phone communication with our son, as he spent most of the storm fighting to hold his front door closed while watching water simultaneously seep into his apartment.

   Beyond his own safety, he was more worried about his friends on Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel Island.

   Stabilization. Immediately after the storm—without electricity or water—our son was isolated by a round-the-clock curfew, he was cut-off from local information or resources, he could see the storm’s extensive damage from his balcony, and virtually everything in his life was being controlled by other people or other forces.

   Summarizing the few, brief phone conversations immediately after Ian left the area, my wife noted that, while my son was trying to assure her through his calm demeanor, she knew that he was in shock— momentarily traumatized by surviving the worst hurricane to ever hit his community.

   Over the next few days, as electricity and internet service was restored, my son reconnected with his friends, and began to help others who fared much worse than him. Social media interactions became a God-send, and he waited in long lines for water, food, and eventually, to sign up for unemployment and other services. 

   After these initial experiences, I received a text from him that simply said, “I have seen things in the last few days that I have never seen in my life.”

   Assessment and Rebuilding. Eventually, about two weeks after Ian, my son drove to Little Rock for “a visit.”

   This actually was an opportunity for him to escape from a community in crisis to a more normalized setting—helping him to physically, emotionally, and situationally recalibrate and re-establish a sense of stability and self-determination.

   During this time. . . removed from the ever-present reminders of Ian’s impact, triggered by simply walking out of his apartment. . . he has been able to more calmly and objectively evaluate his status and circumstances. This, I am sure, will result in a realistic, multi-faceted rebuilding plan.

   [NOTE: We and he are nowhere near the Recognizing and Applying Lessons Learned recovery phase right now.]

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Fight, Flight, Freeze. . . or All Three?

   During a crisis or situations involving high levels of emotionality, the amygdala in our brain and our broader limbic system are programmed to react.

   Traditionally, this results in a conditioned “Fight, Flight, or Freeze” response.

   But I want to suggest that this response (a) is cyclical—across the four phases above; (b) may vary—for the same person—over time, in different situations, and based on previous crisis situations, responses, and resolutions; and (c) may not always be externally apparent.

   This is especially important to note for those working and/or interacting with children and adolescents. . . in school or other educational settings, or in after-school or other away-from-home settings.

   For example, for adults, during the Survival stage of a disaster, most people initially freeze—some for a matter of seconds, and others for longer periods of time. Then, their “survival instinct” kicks in (or someone pushes them into action), and a “fight” or “flight” response results.

   During Stabilization and Assessment and Rebuilding, the same patterns prevail. Some are actively and constructively involved in the process, while others may be emotionally or behaviorally “paralyzed”—requiring outside motivation, assistance, decision-making, or intervention.

   Fight or flight, here, take on a different context. For some, stabilization and rebuilding requires that they leave (flight) the community struck by the disaster, and “start a new life.” For others, they are hell-bent (fight) on staying, restoring, and not letting the source of the disaster “win.”

   Ultimately, during the last phase, most people eventually rebuild to the extent that they can, reconcile the unpredictable nature of life and the unwanted and unfair tragedies that occur, and consider and apply the disaster “lessons learned.”

   This is not to say that those experiencing significant disasters have completely emotionally “healed,” or that they will not emotionally revisit or “flashback” when triggered by similar or impending events (like, for example, reports of a future hurricane).

   But. . . most people do cope with devastating events over time. Recovery is a process, everyone is on their own timeline, and there is no one set formula that works for every person.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Helping Children Cope with Disasters

   The National Association of School Psychologists has produced a number of fact sheets and handouts with reminders of how to help students deal with disasters.

   Among their most important recommendations for adults and educators:

During a disaster event, children look to the significant adults in their lives for guidance on how to manage their reactions after the immediate threat is over. Parents, teachers, and other caregivers can help children and youth cope in the aftermath of a natural disaster by remaining calm and reassuring children that they will be all right.

 

This occurs when adults:

 

·        Remain calm and reassuring. 

·        Acknowledge and normalize their feelings. 

·        Encourage children to talk about disaster-related events. 

·        Promote positive coping and problem-solving skills. 

·        Emphasize children’s resiliency.

·        Strengthen children’s friendships and peer support.

·        Take care of their own needs, and avoid using drugs or alcohol to feel better.

 

With the help of naturally occurring social support systems, most children will be fine. However, some may have reactions requiring professional help.

Adults should consider getting professional support for children whose significant and pervasive reactions continue or worsen after a week or more.

 

Communities that experience repeated disasters or crises may be at risk for compound or cumulative trauma. Parents and schools should work together to provide consistent and strategic support to children, recognizing that their social, emotional, and behavioral needs after a disaster will vary and change over time.

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Summary

   While natural or weather-related disasters are uncommon, they do occur, and it is important to learn from them. . . just in case.

   This Blog has shared some personal experiences and personal/professional reflections prompted by Hurricane Ian’s assault last month—beginning in Florida and extending up the Atlantic Coast.

   While we could shift into a conversation of “why bad things happen to good people” (Kushner, 1981), let’s recognize that sometimes “bad things just happen to people.”

   Life, to some extent, is a series of probabilities and possibilities. Religion, destiny, or predetermination aside, life often just happens, and we do our best to prepare, respond, and learn how to be resilient—with support from family, friends, and others.

   For some, the initial “bad things” in a crisis or disaster can turn out to be the “best things” to happen in their lives. . . many times because we learn to overcome the inherent challenges, uncovering hidden strengths and/or a realization of the blessings in our lives.

   In this regard, we—as adults—need to be mentors and coaches for our children and adolescents. From a developmental perspective, they experience disasters or crises differently than us, and their ability to process and understand what is occurring, short-term and long-term, similarly differs.

   Resilience occurs through both internal and external interactions. For children and adolescents, however, the internal often is a function of how we externally guide, help, and support them.

_ _ _ _ _

   Thank you, as always, for reading and thinking about what I share in these Blogs. I hope they are useful and relevant to you, and that you can apply some of the information, reflections, or “lessons” to your personal and professional lives.

   If I can help you, your colleagues, your school, your district, or a related professional setting to complete an organizational, school improvement, SEL, multi-tiered services, or special education needs assessment and strategic planning process, feel free to contact me at any time, and let’s discuss the critical directions that you want or need to go.

Best,

Howie

 

[CLICK HERE to read this Blog on the Project ACHIEVE Webpage]

Reflecting on My 50th High School Reunion and What I’ve Learned

 A Sequel to “American Pie”

[CLICK HERE to read this Blog on the Project ACHIEVE Webpage]

Dear Colleagues,

“We interrupt this Program for a special announcement.”

Introduction

   Five years ago, I attended my 45th high school reunion and reflected in my Blog about how the interpersonal and student-focused dynamics of high schools in the early 1970s were similar and different from the high schools I worked in—at that time—in 2017.

   Today, I attended my 50th high school reunion, and it is striking what has happened in our country and across the world over the past five years.

   And while I will detail some of that history in a poem below, let’s recognize that every generation feels that it is unique, and that it contributed something essential to American history and our social fabric.

   Simultaneously, most generations often look at “the younger generation” and shake their collective heads thinking,

·       “They just don’t get it; if only they knew.”

·       “They’ll never be able to lead; they’ll ruin our country and way of life.”

·       “It was never like this when we were growing up and in charge.”

   Today’s message for educators is that—in the context of school improvement (as opposed to “school reform,” “school transformation,” or “school reinvention”)—it is important to understand educational history and past accomplishments so we can identify what worked and why, what nearly worked and why, and what did not work and why.

   We also need to understand today’s students, staff, schools, and social contexts so we can (a) use or improve what has worked in the past; (b) modify and adapt previous successes—establishing new successes; and (c) create new systems and strategies to focus on the novel demands that, today, need to be addressed.

   Said a different way: Let’s not over-reform, over-transform, or needlessly invent unnecessary “innovations”—throwing the baby out with the bath water.

   Instead, let’s take an objective, planful, and strategic look at where we are, what we need, what we already possess, and where and how we need to go.

_ _ _ _ _

   But more broadly, today’s theme is about generational reflection, learning from experience, and learning from others.

   And all of this is accomplished symbolically and/or metaphorically in the poem below.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The Contexts

   I wrote this poem this past week, and it was delivered today (October 1, 2022) at my 50th high school reunion. Our reunion was celebrated by over 100 graduates of the 1972 Class from Framingham South High School in Massachusetts.

   Perhaps (for once), I am not going to analyze or interpret the essence of this poem below. It will stand on its own, and you—the Reader—will need to inhale it, reflect on its meanings, consider its implications, and decide how you want to use it.

   At the same time, with no disrespect intended, some readers may not fully understand some of the historical allusions embedded in the lines. Hence, I hope the poem generates multiple teachable moments.

   At the same time, there are a few important contexts that many—who did not grow up in the late 1960s or early 1970s—will not understand without an advanced explanation.

·       One of the most popular songs during our senior year in high school was American Pie by Don McLean. This single became the #1 song in America on January 15, 1972. It stayed at #1 for four weeks, and it was also a #1 hit in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand (#2 in Great Britain). 

American Pie was voted the most popular song by our Senior class, its lyrics were featured in our Yearbook, and it was the foundation to the poem below. 

According to Wikipedia: 

The repeated phrase (in American Pie) "the day the music died" refers to a plane crash in 1959 that killed early rock and roll stars Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens, ending the era of early rock and roll; this became the popular nickname for that crash. The theme of the song goes beyond mourning McLean's childhood music heroes, reflecting the deep cultural changes and profound disillusion and loss of innocence of his generation– the early rock and roll generation – that took place between the 1959 plane crash and either late 1969 or late 1970. The meaning of the other lyrics, which cryptically allude to many of the jarring events and social changes experienced during that period, have been debated for decades. 

_ _ _ _ _ 

·       Hogan’s Heroes was a popular TV comedy that ran from September 17, 1965 to April 4, 1971. Believe it or not, it was set in a Nazi prisoner-of-war camp during World War II where the “prisoners”—led by Colonel Robert E. Hogan and his international crew of crazies—had free reign, hilariously frustrating and poking political fun at the camp’s unaware Nazi commander (Colonel Klink) and its bumbling lead guard (Sargent Schultz). 

Similar to M*A*S*H’s take on the Korean War, Hogan’s Heroes used plot and comedy to make many political statements. In fact, the actors who played the four major German roles in the Series were Jewish, they had all fled the Nazi’s during World War II, and some in the cast were imprisoned in Concentration Camps during the War. Werner Klemperer, who played Colonel Klink and was the real-life son of conductor Otto Klemperer, fled Hitler’s Germany with his family in 1933. During the show’s production, he insisted that Hogan would always win against his Nazi captors—otherwise, he would not play the part of Klink. 

The Hogan’s Heroes theme song was the most popular song that our high school marching band played. In fact, we played it at every football game as we entered the stadium, and it was often requested throughout the game by fans. 

When we graduated on that same football field in June 1972, the band played the song as the recessional, and our class danced its way down the field and off to our futures.

Playing this song at our Reunion was a “no brainer,” and you can see how it is used symbolically in the poem.

_ _ _ _ _

   Given these two contexts:

   “Here’s the rest of the story” (Paul Harvey).

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The Creation

 

Framingham South High’s Class of 1972 Reunion. . . Pie

A long, long time ago
I can still remember how that music used to make me smile
And I knew if we stood our ground
That we could move the world around
And maybe make a difference for awhile.

But Viet Nam—it made us shiver
And racial equity was not delivered
Drugs and sex and rock ‘n roll
But bells for Martin and Bobby—we heard them toll.

I can’t remember if I cried
When I realized classmates really die
But something touched us deep inside
The day Hogan’s Heroes last played.

So why, why, Framingham South High
Grabbed my knowledge—went to college
But I didn’t know why.
And then some others—went their own different ways
Growth is a journey—Based on happiness each day.

Did you write the book of love?
Was your high school crush chosen from above?
Or did you have the nerve to reveal. . .
That she was the one that you adored,
Or that he could make your feelings soar
In that adolescent way. . .

And yet some sweethearts are still together
And others found happiness—and they’ve weathered
The children, confirmations, and life events
That tested resolve, and left us spent
But we’ve love them through it. . . unrelenting.

We once were young and unafraid
And now we see the paths we’ve laid
Had some big hits and some regrets. . .
And yet we’re here because we can’t forget
The day Hogan’s Heroes last played.

So fly high, Framingham South High
Grabbed my knowledge—went to college
But I didn’t know why.
And then some others—went their own unique ways
Success is a journey—Based on happiness each day.

And so we were all in one place
A generation watching “Lost in Space”
But then the real thing happened when. . .

The LEM, it landed on the moon
And technology began to swoon:
Computers, cable, e-mails, Twitter
AI, Smartphones, the Dark Web sitters
Google, Tic Toc, and all the rest
But is this progress? Or just a test?

Of all the values I think we had
From our families—from our moms and dads
Where did they all go?

Today, it seems that everything’s divided
And rights and wrongs have so collided
Truth has become a commodity
That’s changed by changing channels on your TV.

Women’s rights and salaries
The insurrection—and the inquiries
Black Lives Matters, assault gun scenes
Is everyone living at the extremes?

The pandemic shut the whole world down
We donned our masks, Others donned their gowns.
A miracle! These great vaccines,
But politics reduced them to “injectable chlorines.”

It’s easy to say that we know best
While belittling the opposition’s zest
The younger generations, they just don’t know
And yet we sometimes forget the glow
The day Hogan’s Heroes last played.

So sigh, sigh, Framingham South High
Grabbed my knowledge—went to college
But I didn’t know why.
And then some others—went their own distinct ways
Wisdom is a journey—Based on happiness each day.

Now for fifty years we've been on our own
Some left town, some still call here home
But no one has forgotten when. . .

We shared the stage, the labs, the fields
We cheered our teams and sailed our dreams

But not to romanticize or be naïve:

We had our cliques, we made mistakes
We went too far in heated debates
Some did drop-out or abdicate
And others waited until it was much too late

But somehow we tried to make it work.

And I, for one, forgive our faults
And to our Class, we should exalt
That we did succeed and should all be proud
Of what we’ve done since we walked the halls
And sat in classes with favorite teachers
And on that day with our parents in the bleachers
The last day Hogan’s Heroes played.

So bye, bye, Framingham South High
Grabbed my knowledge—went to college
But I didn’t know why.
And then some others—went their own diverse ways
Life is a journey—You deserve happiness each day.

 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Summary

“And that’s the way it is. Saturday, October 1^st, 2022.”

 

“It’s 10 PM. Do you know where your children are?” [TV Sign-Off]

 

[CUE: Star Spangled Banner]

 

[CUE: TV Test Pattern]

Best,

 

Howie

[CLICK HERE to read this Blog on the Project ACHIEVE Webpage]

The Academic and Social-Emotional Impact of Multiple Moves on Students in Poverty

The Stress We Feel When Moving is Exponentially Higher for Disadvantaged Students

[CLICK HERE to read this Blog on the Project ACHIEVE Webpage]

Dear Colleagues,

Introduction

   Even as the pandemic continues, the number of people and families who move each year is striking.

   Indeed, according to a January 19, 2022 moving industry article, about 8.93 million people in the United Stated have moved homes since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. . . an increase of about 94,000 when compared with 2019’s statistics.

   In general, 9.8% of us—or, 15.3 million American households with an average size of 2.3 family members—move annually.

   But moving is not just a physical act. It is also an emotionally stressful act.

   And on a personal level right now, I can totally relate.

   That’s because, for the past five months, I have been immersed in the process of moving.

   That means, among a whole host of things:

·        Buying, financing, and preparing to move to a new home (including changing addresses and insurances, completing inspections and renovations, connecting utilities and arranging billings); 

·        Selling, packing, and preparing to move out of our current home (including dealing with keepsakes and memories, responding—again—to inspections and doing repairs, and disconnecting utilities and arranging for final billings); 

·        Contracting with movers (and then dealing with the fact that they are not terribly concerned about safeguarding your prized possessions); and 

·        Saying good-bye to friends, neighbors, merchants, routines, and other support systems.

   Critically, all of this has occurred at the same time that I continue to run a business, travel to consultations, and respond (gracefully???—not always!) to unexpected delays, roadblocks, and transitional crises.

   Yes. . . moving is incredibly and cumulatively stressful.

   But the good news is that this is my first major move in over 18 years. Moreover, it is voluntary, supported by my wife, not related to any family or other life crisis, and our final destination is a “homecoming” of sorts.

   According to the moving industry study cited above, the average American moves approximately 11.7 times in their lifetime with approximately 80% of those moves within the same state.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

But These Statistics Do Not Reflect Students and Families in Poverty

   Significantly, educators need to understand that the statistics above do not reflect those for students and families living in poverty.

   Moreover, educators need to be sensitive to the fact that, for many of these students, the stresses that we experience during our infrequent lifetime moves are magnified both in depth and breadth as they make frequent moves during their school-aged years.

   Let’s look first at the contexts within which families that live in poverty move. . . and then at the myriad ways that multiple, often unexpected moves impact students who live in poverty.

_ _ _ _ _

The Contexts

   Because the first two years of the pandemic involved a “shelter in place” existence for most in our country, the more recent contexts reflecting how often and why families in poverty moved may be misleading.

   Thus, it is best to look at the pre-pandemic data.

   Here, the best single study was published in October 2020 by Stefanie DeLuca from Johns Hopkins University:

“Poor Families Must Move Often, but Rarely Escape Concentrated Poverty”

[CLICK HERE for the Abstract to this Study]

   DeLuca analyzed 17 years of information collected by her team involving 1,200 low-income households in five different cities: Baltimore, Seattle, Cleveland, Dallas, and Mobile, Alabama.

   Overall, they found that economically-disadvantaged families, who live in racially-segregated neighborhoods and whose children attend racially-segregated schools, make repeated moves—often triggered by unforeseen circumstances and/or due to family or housing crises. Moreover, the heads-of-household often complete their family moves without investigating the new neighborhood options available to them or considering their children’s best options for school.

   Summarizing this, DeLuca reported that “low-income families are forced by urgent crises to choose the safest, most convenient locations necessary for immediate survival, rather than taking the time to find neighborhoods with great schools and job opportunities.”

   DeLuca also noted that, “these unpredictable shocks often include housing quality failure, housing policy changes, landlord behaviors, income changes, and neighborhood violence.”

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

How Multiple Moves Impact Students Living in Poverty

   As a practical matter, when students enter a new school, their parents or guardians typically complete a formal enrollment process that includes certifying their address, providing birth certificates and vaccination records, and filling out forms that provide a brief educational history—including the name and address of the last-attended school. Additional information on the student’s language of origin, special education and/or medical needs, and free lunch qualification status are collected.

   Even with just this enrollment information, teachers receiving new students—at any time during the school year—should immediately be alerted to any academic or social, emotional, or behavioral concerns that may negatively affect new students’ transitions into their new schools and classes.

   Once again, as noted earlier, educators need to be sensitive that students— especially those living in poverty who make frequent moves during their school-aged years—may experience more stress and disruption than we experience when we, ourselves, move.

   This stress may be due to (a) why the move was needed; (b) how quickly or under what conditions the move occurred; (c) the number of moves experienced by the student over (a short period of) time; and (d) the loss of friends, support systems, or feelings of safety and security.

   For students who have experienced many family and school moves, teachers should closely monitor four significant student transition areas.

Disruptions of Background and Information

   Under normal conditions, it often takes an inordinate amount of time to transfer students’ cumulative records from school to school. While many such records are now secured in electronic Student Information Systems, these systems are not always compatible from district to district, and for students making frequent school moves, these records are often not up-to-date.

   The point here is that new teachers need to know the comprehensive background information and history of frequently-moving students—especially those who live in poverty—as quickly as possible. The most-recent and cumulative information about a student’s schools, attendance, grades, test scores and proficiency, conduct and discipline, and interventions provided and successful is essential to a smooth and successful transition.

_ _ _ _ _

Disruptions of Academics and Instruction

   Frequently-moving students sometimes move into new schools that are using different curricula or instructional approaches, for example, in literacy, mathematics, science, and writing. Sometimes, these curriculum and instruction differences have occurred across multiple moves and multiple schools to the extent that students have not learned and mastered critical skills not because they can’t learn, but because they have not had consistent opportunities to learn.

   Teachers need to know the curriculum and instruction history of their new, frequently-moving students as quickly as possible.

   While they should complete screening assessments to determine these students’ current academic skills, status, and standing, this history will help identify the existence of instructional gaps so that teachers can differentiate between (a) students who have learning challenges, and students who can learn but have not had consistent opportunities to learn; and (b) under what past learning conditions and circumstances their new students have learned best.

_ _ _ _ _

Disruptions of Peer Networks and Social Supports

   Frequently-moving students—especially those living in poverty—often have fewer long-lasting friendships, and the peer support networks that they establish are typically disrupted by their many moves. As a result, some of these students are hesitant to establish new relationships—assuming that they will be short-lived anyways, and other such students are just emotionally “worn out” due to the repeated necessity to “start over” with respect to peers and other social supports.

   Teachers need to be aware of these potential peer circumstances, going out of their way to discuss them with their new students so that they can actively encourage and support them. As appropriate, peer “ambassadors” can be provided to new students—to orient them to school and classroom routines and processes. . . and different formal and informal social and team (re)building activities can be scheduled so that new networks and support systems can be established in natural and comfortable ways.

_ _ _ _ _

Disruptions of Situational Stress and Emotional Coping

   Throughout this Blog, we have emphasized that any move results in some degree of stress on a family’s members, but that unpredictable, unplanned, and repeated moves—especially when they occur in unsafe or unknown locations—are situationally and cumulative even more stressful.

   To quantify this, we reference the Holmes-Rahe Stress Scale for Youth which rates a student’s “Change in Residence” at a stress rating of 15 on a 100 point scale.

    While that doesn’t seem too bad. . . the reasons for the move and other conditions related to poverty, changing schools, being or going into debt, changes in independence or responsibilities, and modifications of one’s academic course of studies all add to the total stress rating to the point that the stress may impact the student’s attitudes, beliefs, expectations, judgement, decision-making, and social, emotional, behavioral, and physical health.

   Teachers need to assess the past and current level of stress in their new students—especially those who are at-risk, living in poverty, or experiencing frequent moves or life changes. They need to evaluate these students’ academic struggles or social-emotional challenges in the context of their history or the presence of stress. And they should be a ready resource as needed. . . or a referral source for students to the mental health specialists in their school as appropriate.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Summary

   Clearly, students and their families are on the move all the time, and it sometimes feels like we have revolving doors in our schools and classrooms with new students coming in every day.

   While this creates stress for us as educators, it is important to (as Covey would say), "Seek first to understand, then to be understood." 

   Many students—especially those living in poverty—are not in control of the moves and transitions in their lives.

   This lack of control adds to the student stress that we have already discussed throughout this Blog. And many students do not have the stress-reduction skills, resources, or support systems that they need to address the stress—both in the short-term as well as in the long-term—so that they can function more effectively in their academic and social lives.

   For frequently-moving students, teachers, support staff, and administrators must go beyond the emotional support that these students need. . . they must recognize that the moves may also create disruptions in (a) the past and present Student Information System data for these students, (b) the academic and instructional status and needs of these students, and (c) these students’ social supports and their interactions with their new peers and peer networks.

   All of this needs to be a team effort. . . from getting a student’s previous cumulative records as quickly as possible to determining the presence or need for multi-tiered academic or social-emotional services, supports, or interventions.

   In this context, adapting the Covey quote above, we need to:

“Seek first the information and data that we need to fully understand a new student, so that we can then organize the instruction, services, and supports that are needed to facilitate progress and success.”

_ _ _ _ _ _

   As always, I appreciate those of you who read these Blogs, and I hope they are useful to you.

   If I can help you, your colleagues, your school, your district, or those in your professional setting to address your students’ social, emotional, or behavioral challenges, send me an email and let’s set up a time to talk. This first consultation hour is on the house.

Best, 

Howie

[CLICK HERE to read this Blog on the Project ACHIEVE Webpage]

Generation C (COVID) is Entering School with Significant Language, Academic, and Social Delays

The Pressure on Our Preschool and Kindergarten Programs to Act NOW

[CLICK HERE to read this Blog on the Project ACHIEVE Webpage]

Dear Colleagues,

Introduction

    One of my favorite consultations is with a preschool program in Kenai, Alaska.

   I began working with the Kenaitze Indian Tribe Head Start Program during the summer of 2007. Now, 15 years later, this Program has expanded into an Infant, Toddler, and Preschool Program. . . as well as a Cultural Support and Instruction Program where Cultural Instructors support their Native American students—from kindergarten through high school—during their days in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, and then in a Tribe-run afterschool program where they teach them Native dance, the Dena’ina language, and the ten events that take place at the Native Youth Olympics.

   This past month, I was honored to work with the staff serving all of these programs once again on-site in Alaska. During our time together, we discussed (among many topics):

·       How to teach, prompt, and reinforce important interpersonal, social problem-solving, conflict prevention and resolution, and emotional awareness, control, communication, and coping skills with different toddler through high school students

·       The connection between students’ physiological and neurological development and their emotional, affective, and behavioral status and interactions

·       The five building blocks of school discipline, classroom management, and student self-management

·       How to teach the Stop & Think Social Skills Program effectively in the classroom and common areas of the school

·       The characteristics of effective teaching and differentiated instruction

·       How to identify the root causes when students present with academic problems and social, emotional, and behavioral challenges; and how to link the results of these analyses to multi-tiered services, supports, strategies, and interventions

·       How to talk with students about their social-emotional challenges, and how to safely and productively respond to students when they are emotionally past the “physiological point of no return”

   One of the goals was to begin this new school year with everyone focused on both the academic and social, emotional, and behavioral status and progress of all students, and to consistently use effective science-to-practice and multi-tiered processes needed to accomplish this goal.

   It was a very productive and rewarding week, and we all learned many things together through the deep discussions and the case study applications that we shared.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Preschool and the Pandemic

   As I prepared for the week with my colleagues, I reviewed a number of studies that have identified the impact of the pandemic on young children. . . even as the pandemic continues.

   According to a handful of studies published within the last few months, some children born during the pandemic:

·     Are showing below average scores on developmental tests of gross motor (e.g., walking), fine motor (e.g., drawing, cutting with scissors), and social and problem-solving skills when compared with children born before the pandemic began.

·     Are vocalizing and engaging in verbal interactions much less frequently than their pre-pandemic counterparts.

·     Lack a sense of personal space and boundaries, may be more “clingy” with their parents/guardians, and have difficulty separating from trusted adults—especially in new or unknown settings.

·     Experienced more family poverty and food insecurity—increasing the potential for (family) stress and other emotional distresses.

·     Experienced fewer routines and less predictability at home—potentially affecting their emotional security and executive functioning skills.

_ _ _ _ _

   In fact, while approximately one in six infants, toddlers, and preschool children experienced a developmental delay before the pandemic began, researchers in some communities are now finding that infants born during the pandemic may have nearly twice the risk of developmental delays specifically in communication and social development in comparison.

   While not causal, some of the hypothesized pandemic-related reasons for these children’s challenges include:

·     Mothers’ pandemic-added stress during pregnancy, fewer in-office maternity visits with their doctors, and parental/family stress at home after their birth.

·     The children were sequestered at home for extended periods of time—without the opportunity to visit, explore, interact, play, and socialize in different settings, with different children and adults, and across different situations.

·     The use of masks at home by parents, siblings, and extended family members (because there was no vaccine for a while) made verbal and non-verbal communication more difficult and restricted, and this decreased the children’s experience and learning of sounds, words, facial expressions, and understanding of others’ verbal and non-verbal cues.

Indeed, one study noted that pandemic babies had fewer people talking and interacting with them for less time every day.

·     More and earlier use of computers, TV, and other devices to “entertain” these children—with possible effects on their attention and social interactions.

·     Less opportunity to visit their primary care physicians for preventative health and other screenings, and to other clinicians (as indicated) for early psychoeducational and speech/language screenings.

·     Less opportunity for on-site, interactive, and high quality early intervention services for students with developmental delays or disabilities, and fewer formal early education opportunities for all children as well.

_ _ _ _ _

   Some in the popular press are beginning to call this generation of children, Generation C (COVID). While the research (as above) is notable so far, none of us can accurately predict right now how many children have been negatively impacted by conditions directly related to the pandemic, how responsive they will be to strategic interventions, and whether some of their challenges will be short-lived or more sustained.

   As always, it is important to recognize that the challenges above must be identified on an individual child basis, and that analyses to determine the root causes of any problems found are essential before recommending and implementing services, supports, strategies, and interventions.

   Moreover, as appropriate, these analyses must include assessments of the child’s status before the pandemic began, so that issues or causes that predated the pandemic or that are not pandemic-related can be identified and addressed.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The Benefits of Early Childhood Education

   As noted above, most of today’s infants, toddlers, and preschoolers did not have the benefit of attending early childhood programs during the first two to three years of the pandemic.

   At this point, given the effects of the pandemic noted above, the pressure is now on early childhood, preschool, and kindergarten teachers to address the significant pandemic-related gaps that some students are experiencing.

   The benefits of early childhood education have been empirically researched and objectively documented in many studies beginning with the Perry Preschool Project in 1962. In fact, there are quite a number of studies that have longitudinally tracked students from their participation in early childhood programs into adulthood—some of them (e.g., in Tennessee) that are quite recent.

   Overall, students—especially those living in poverty—who participated in past early childhood education opportunities:

        Short-Term

·       Were more prepared to enter kindergarten and succeed both academically and socially during their early elementary school years

·       Closed some of the receptive and expressive language development gaps that they originally entered their programs with

·       Were less likely to be retained during their school careers, were less likely to need special education services, and were more likely to graduate from high school. . . with higher SAT scores

_ _ _ _ _

        Long-Term

·       Were more likely to graduate from college, to be employed full-time, to own a car and home, and to be less likely to live in poverty as adults

·       Had more positive social interactions as adults, had more positive relationships with family members, and were more community-focused

·       Were less likely to have substance abuse problems, to have run-ins with the law, and to be incarcerated as juveniles

   We expect these same results to occur for today’s (pandemic-affected) students in need—even though some educators point to research showing that some of the academic gains above dissipate by the end of Grade 3.

   The need right now is too great to wait.

   Educators need to focus more on the long-term high school through adulthood outcomes. Even if the “disappearing” Grade 3 academic results are fully accurate, this does not mean that early childhood education has no “long-term” effects. Indeed, consider where the children in the Perry Preschool (and other) study(ies) would have scored academically at the end of Grade 3 had they not participated in their early childhood programs!

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

What Should Early Childhood, Preschool, and Kindergarten Teachers. . . Schools and Districts Do?

   And so. . . the pressure is on our early childhood, preschool, and kindergarten teachers, their administrators and support staff. . . and their schools and districts.

   More than ever before, the teachers, administrators, and support staff need to screen and validate the students who are developmentally delayed, in what areas, and for what reasons. But they also need to recognize, within the wide range of normative behavior, the students who are performing well and as expected.

   To address the needs of the infants, toddlers, and preschoolers who are behind due to pandemic-related factors, schools and districts need to immediately attend to the following three important areas:

·       Child Find;

·       Completing Social-Developmental Histories; and

·       Providing Effective and Compensatory Educational Services and Supports

Recommendation #1: Child Find

   Child Find is required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004) for both infants and toddlers (Part C) and school-aged students (Part B). All school districts receiving federal funding are required to have a systematic Child Find system and process so that infant through school-aged (i.e., high school) children and adolescents with suspected developmental delays (Part C) or disabilities (Parts C and B) are identified as early as possible, are found eligible for special education services (or not), and receive those services and interventions (if qualified).  

   This early identification and intervention responsibility is especially important right now given the infant, toddler, and preschool status and information described above.

   According to special education law (IDEA, Part B):

300.111 Child find.

 

(a) General.

 

(1) The State must have in effect policies and procedures to ensure that—

 

(i) All children with disabilities residing in the State, including children with disabilities who are homeless children or are wards of the State, and children with disabilities attending private schools, regardless of the severity of their disability, and who are in need of special education and related services, are identified, located, and evaluated; and

 

(ii) A practical method is developed and implemented to determine which children are currently receiving needed special education and related services.

 

(b) Use of term developmental delay. The following provisions apply with respect to implementing the child find requirements of this section:

 

(1) A State that adopts a definition of developmental delay under §300.8(b) determines whether the term applies to children aged three through nine, or to a subset of that age range (e.g., ages three through five).

 

(2) A State may not require an LEA to adopt and use the term developmental delay for any children within its jurisdiction.

 

(3) If an LEA uses the term developmental delay for children described in §300.8(b), the LEA must conform to both the State’s definition of that term and to the age range that has been adopted by the State.

 

(4) If a State does not adopt the term developmental delay, an LEA may not independently use that term as a basis for establishing a child’s eligibility under this part.

 

(c) Other children in child find. Child find also must include—

 

(1) Children who are suspected of being a child with a disability under §300.8 and in need of special education, even though they are advancing from grade to grade; and

 

(2) Highly mobile children, including migrant children.

 

(d) Construction. Nothing in the Act requires that children be classified by their disability so long as each child who has a disability that is listed in §300.8 and who, by reason of that disability, needs special education and related services is regarded as a child with a disability under Part B of the Act.

_ _ _ _ _

   According to the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center:

Regulations for Part C of IDEA require each state to have a comprehensive child find system for the purposes of identifying, locating, and evaluating all infants and toddlers with disabilities ages birth–2 as early as possible. The system must be consistent with Part B, and also meet additional requirements.

 

The lead agency—with the assistance of the state interagency coordinating council—ensures that the system is coordinated with all other major efforts to locate and identify young children by other state agencies and programs including:

 

·        Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Programs;

·        Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT);

·        health;

·        Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP);

·        Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EDHI);

·        education;

·        Early Head Start;

·        child protection and child welfare programs, including foster care and CAPTA;

·        programs that provide services under the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act; and

·        child care programs, and tribal agencies.

 

Part C eligibility is determined by each state's definition of an infant or toddler with a disability (34 CFR §303.21) which must include: an infant or toddler with a developmental delay and an infant or toddler with diagnosed physical or mental conditions with a high probability of resulting in developmental delay.

 

Developmental delay is "measured by appropriate diagnostic instruments and procedures" to determine the developmental functioning in each of the 5 developmental areas: cognitive, physical including vision and hearing, communication, social or emotional, and adaptive.

 

Included in the evaluation process is the use of the informed clinical opinion of professionals experienced with development of infants and toddlers.

 

An infant or toddler with diagnosed physical or mental conditions with a high probability of resulting in developmental delay include such conditions as chromosomal abnormalities; genetic or congenital disorders; sensory impairments; inborn errors of metabolism; disorders reflecting disturbance of the development of the nervous system; congenital infections; severe attachment disorders; and disorders secondary to exposure to toxic substances, including fetal alcohol syndrome.

 

States may choose to serve children at risk for disabilities in their eligibility definition (34 CFR §303.21).

_ _ _ _ _

Recommendation #2: Completing Social and Developmental Histories with Parents/Guardians

   As part of the early education and Child Find process, I believe that teachers and related service professionals at the early childhood, preschool, and kindergarten need to become proficient in interviewing parents, guardians, or other caretakers using a sound Social and Developmental History Questionnaire.

   These questionnaires help to collect and organize historical and present status information about an individual child from birth (or before) to the present in a number of important home, school, and other developmental areas. And this information will help to differentiate between student challenges that existed before the pandemic, that may be related to the pandemic, and that began during the pandemic, but are unrelated to it.

   Critically, most Social and Developmental History Questionnaires ask questions in the following areas:

·        General Information: Includes questions about the history, background, and status of the child and his/her family.

·        Health and Development: Includes questions about prenatal to post-natal status and health, infancy through current age developmental milestones and status, and family history and status.

·        Behavior:  Includes questions related to infancy and about early temperament; social-emotional development and current status; behavioral interactions at home, with peers, and in other settings; responses to frustration and discipline; and responsibilities, independence, and self-help interactions at home.

·        Education and Learning: Includes questions about academic history and status, feelings toward learning and school, need for educational support and/or special education, and social and peer interactions at school.

·        Family and Other Stressors: Includes questions about critical life, medical, or other stress-related events experienced by or around the child.

   Every educator who completes a Social and Developmental Questionnaire with a parent/guardian should be trained beforehand to a specific level of expertise. Schools should consider using collegial dyads—pairing a teacher and a related service professional (a counselor, school psychologist, social worker)—whenever a social and developmental history interview is completed with a child’s parents or guardians.

   Social and Developmental History Questionnaires should be used only for those children exhibiting one or more important developmental gaps or experiencing a significant, problematic early childhood event. They also should be an inherent part of a school or district’s Child Find and/or multi-tiered service and support team (MTSS) process.

_ _ _ _ _

Recommendation #3: Provide Effective and Compensatory Educational Services and Supports for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers

   This final recommendation emphasizes the importance of high-quality, evidence-based instruction for all “Generation C” infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. As above, this instruction should be supplemented by strategic or intensive services, supports, strategies, or interventions for students needing more multi-tiered attention.

   The “core” instruction must focus on teaching these children the many developmentally-anchored pre-academic and social-emotional skills that they need—starting from where they are currently functioning, and factoring in their developmental histories and service and support needs.

   To provide a roadmap for this process, we suggest a review of a recent (August, 2022) publication from the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Educational Services (Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance Center).

[CLICK HERE for “Preparing Young Children for School”]

   The Introduction to this Practice Guide states:

The education children receive in preschool can prepare them to benefit from the learning opportunities they will encounter in elementary school. Children who learn social-emotional and executive function skills in preschool, for example, may be better able to maintain positive relationships, follow directions, exhibit self-control, and learn to deal more successfully with problem situations. Similarly, children who are exposed to and have gain a deeper foundational understanding of mathematics, language, letters, sounds, and print material. By learning social-emotional, executive function, mathematics, and literacy skills in preschool, children are likely to be better prepared for the higher expectations and more formal curriculum in elementary school.

   While written for all preschoolers, we think that the Guide’s seven practice recommendations and five “overarching” themes can easily be adapted for use with most Generation C infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.

   The seven practice recommendations are:

1.   Regularly provide intentional, engaging instruction and practice focused on social-emotional skills.

2.   Strengthen children's executive function skills using specific games and activities.

3.   Provide intentional instruction to build children’s understanding of mathematical ideas and skills.

4.   Engage children in conversations about mathematical ideas and support them in using mathematical language.

5.   Intentionally plan activities to build children’s vocabulary and language.

6.   Build children’s knowledge of letters and sounds.

7.   Use shared book reading to develop children’s language, knowledge of print features, and knowledge of the world.

_ _ _ _ _

   The five overarching themes, according to the Guide are “central to providing instruction in preschool. Quoting from the Guide, these themes are:

Theme #1. The importance of intentional instruction

 

The panel believes preschool instruction should be focused, deliberate, and purposeful in directly addressing the specific learning objectives of the lesson.  Teachers should set up lessons to include conversations and activities to intentionally help children learn a skill or concept, as well as ample repetition and review to clarify and support learning of both newly learned and previously learned skills and topics. Intentional instruction also includes repeated opportunities for children to practice what they are learning. Teachers can provide specific praise to highlight and reinforce the desired behavior, skill, or understanding children demonstrate as they practice what they learned.

_ _ _ _ _

 

Theme #2. The importance of interaction and conversation

 

The panel believes that interaction plays a pivotal role in children’s learning. Supportive interactions between teachers and children that are essential for this age need to be prioritized. Children learn more from conversing with the teacher than from listening to teachers talk for extended periods.

 

The panel suggests giving children multiple opportunities to engage in group or one-on-one multi-turn conversations. During these conversations, children can be encouraged to talk about the skills and concepts they are learning in a back-and-forth conversation with the teacher and/or other children. Teachers can also lead interactive activities, such as playing games, singing songs, and reading books, to engage children in learning. These activities should be relevant to and supportive of a wide variety of cultural backgrounds and social experiences.

 

Developmentally appropriate instruction for children ages 3–5 involves hands-on activities that keep them engaged. Requiring children to sit still for more than 10–15 minutes, to listen to an adult talking for an extended period, or to complete a worksheet are not appropriate expectations for children ages 3–5. To maintain children’s engagement, choose hands-on instructional activities, keep verbal instructions short, and allow children many opportunities to contribute to conversations.

_ _ _ _ _

 

Theme #3. The importance of lessons building sequentially

 

The panel believes that each area of learning—social-emotional, executive function, mathematics, and literacy—should proceed in a sequential manner, deliberately and systematically building skills and knowledge. New learning should proceed in a sequenced order, from easy to more difficult skills and concepts, and be based on knowledge of young children’s natural development. Teaching of new concepts and skills should build on what children know, adding more challenge as children learn and leading toward skills/knowledge that will help children succeed in kindergarten.

 

The panel recommends choosing an evidence-based program or curriculum developed by content experts that follows a sequence of topics in social-emotional, executive function, mathematics, and literacy. Following a sequential program or curriculum, rather than piecing together a variety of activities, can help ensure that learning is being addressed in a developmentally appropriate way.

_ _ _ _ _

 

Theme #4. The importance of scheduling time for intentional learning

 

The panel recommends developing a schedule in which intentional instruction time is devoted on a consistent basis to social-emotional learning, executive function, mathematics, and literacy. Note that the amount of time spent on these areas of instruction will vary depending on the length of the preschool day.

 

The panel emphasizes that each of these intentional instruction times should fit into the daily routine and accompany the learning opportunities that occur throughout the day. Intentional instructional time can, for example, be embedded into large-group and small-group activities. Large-group instructional activities can be used to provide a brief explanation or demonstration but should be quickly accompanied by hands-on, engaging activities.

_ _ _ _ _

 

Theme #5. The importance of recognizing everyone’s backgrounds and experiences

 

The panel recognizes that children come from a wide variety of cultural, racial, and linguistic backgrounds and have different social experiences. The panel believes that preschools should reflect and value the cultural, racial, and linguistic backgrounds of the children, teachers, and community, and provide opportunities for children to learn about various cultures in meaningful ways.

 

To make learning more relevant, engaging, and interesting for all children, the panel suggests using culturally responsive practices. The work of incorporating these practices into current materials or curricula may need to be done in collaboration with a curriculum or preschool director.

 

Teachers can consider the following ways of engaging with young children from diverse backgrounds:

 

Ø  Learn about the children, their families, and their communities and use this knowledge to adapt teaching, materials, and classroom setup.

Ø  Ensure classroom teaching materials, such as posters, books, toys, and songs reflect the diversity of the children in the classroom so that children see someone who looks like them.

Ø  Seek out books that include characters with whom children and their families share identities; ensure that the characters in the books are presented in authentic and positive ways.

Ø  Encourage children and families to bring their traditions and culturally important experiences to school to share.

Ø  Display real pictures of the teachers, children, their families, and their communities.

Ø  Include meaningful, engaging activities from various communities and cultures in the classroom community such as food, music, literature, and celebrations.

Ø  Read books about different cultures, traditions, countries, and regions of the world.

Ø  Interact with children in a way that delivers positive messages about their self-identity.

Ø  Place children in diverse, heterogeneous groups, including, for example, children from homes with differing primary or home languages, income levels, or cultural backgrounds.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Summary

   Before the pandemic, the first three years of life were considered crucial to children’s learning, socialization, language development, and well-being.

   But now, given the effects of the pandemic, the next three years of effective instruction and early strategic or intensive intervention will be instrumental in helping our infants, toddlers, and preschoolers to developmentally catch up and recalibrate their paths toward academic and social, emotional, and behavioral success and proficiency.

   This Blog first reported the results of a number of recent studies and their descriptions of some of the delays exhibited by infants, toddlers, and preschoolers who have grown up during the pandemic.

   It then discussed some of the pandemic-related reasons why infants born during the pandemic appear to have nearly twice the risk of developmental delay—specifically in communication and social development—when compared with pre-pandemic infants.

   We then emphasized that we cannot accurately predict how many Generation C (COVID) children have been negatively impacted by conditions directly related to the pandemic, how responsive they will be to strategic interventions, and whether some of their challenges will be short-lived or more sustained. We concurrently noted that we cannot assume that children with specific pandemic experiences will automatically present with academic, social, or other concerns.

   Instead, we recommended the importance of evaluating individual children as needed, determining the pre-pandemic, pandemic-related, and pandemic-unrelated root causes of any problems found, and linking the evaluation results to specific services, supports, strategies, and interventions.

   Finally, we reviewed the previously-identified short- and long-term benefits of early childhood education and intervention. And then we detailed what early childhood, preschool, and kindergarten teachers, administrators, and support staff need to do for today’s Generation C children—supported in three areas by their schools and districts: Child Find, the use of Social-Developmental Histories, and the implementation of effective and compensatory educational services and supports.

   The academic and social, emotional, and behavioral progress of many students—from preschool through high school—was negatively impacted during the pandemic. While we must address the needs of all of these students, the developmental gaps experienced by our infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarteners are especially important given the neurological development that occurs during these years.

   Educators, schools, and districts must “reach down” to these children in order to “raise them up” with the most strategic and intensive services and supports needed.

   If we are going to weather the long-term effects of the pandemic, it will be through our attention to early childhood instruction and interventions. This has always been our investment in the future. It now must be our investment to the present.

_ _ _ _ _ _

   As always, I hope that this Blog has provided an opportunity to think more broadly about the issues confronting educators, schools, districts, and others in the field today. And I hope that the information discussed will create a path toward more effective solutions on behalf of our students.

   I appreciate the time that you invested in reading this Blog, and your dedication to your students, colleagues, and the educational process—especially at the beginning of this new school year.

   Please feel free to send me your thoughts and questions. 

   And please know that I am always happy to provide any initial Zoom consultation needed by you and your colleagues without charge.

Best,

Howie

[CLICK HERE to read this Blog on the Project ACHIEVE Webpage]