Has the Covid-19 Pandemic Had an Impact on Children Ages Three to Five and their Ability to Reach Academic Speech and Language Milestones?

This paper presents an investigation into whether Covid-19 has had an impact on children ages three to five and their ability to reach academic speech and language milestones. With the aim to collect data from education professionals and children. A mixed methods approach was used, including three interviews, one with a speech and language therapist, and two with primary school teachers, then two observations were carried out, one of five children from a reception class andanother with five children from a pre- school class. This was to gain an understanding from professionals working with children who were born during the pandemic, to gather first hand views, experiences, and opinions. The results provided evidence that Covid-19 has had an impact on children’s speech and language development. This was highlighted through different themes that arose from the interviews, while the observational data proved that children who were born during the Covid-19 pandemic, have had their ability to reach academic speech and language milestones reduced. These findings support key developmental theories emphasising the importance of social interaction for language acquisition. Limitations include small sample size and time constraints, which future research could address. The study stresses the need for early intervention and language-rich environments to support children’s speech and language post-pandemic.