Three years ago, kids’ lives drastically changed because of the lockdowns brought about by the pandemic. Students who attend face-to-face classes were forced to say goodbye to their classmates and teachers to attend online school indefinitely. Kids who see their friends on weekly or monthly playdates resorted to online chatting and updating. Children who usually play on the streets in the morning or in the afternoon were all inside their homes, asking endless questions about when the pandemic ever ends.

Just recently, the pandemic protocols were lifted in the Philippines. Face-to-face classes are back, and kids can now visit their friends and family. But it isn’t like they are back to their old ways in a snap of a finger. The long periods in the confines of their home affected the way they learn and interact with others, and parents and teachers are quick to notice.

Mommy Sofie Tinio, owner of The Reading Station, mom of 4 girls, and homeschooling mom for 7 years, shares with us what she noticed kids need more of now in the post-pandemic era.

Children might have spent the entire lockdown with their parents and other adult relatives. While this setup is nothing short of nurturing, kids also need to interact, mingle, and play with kids their age.

“One of the pressing needs we see in kids’ emotional and social aspects is to be around kids their age. I have personally seen great impact in the way they deal with other children upon the first few encounters. Others would respond happily and in fact aggressively in the context of play and sometimes in as simple as sharing or taking turns, but in most cases, we’ve seen kids shy away, throw a fit, or in the worst case, the confidence within themselves and being able to show that out to shine in an environment goes downhill in a face-to-face class set up.”
Teacher Sofie

Alongside social and emotional skills, kids’ foundational skills such as reading are heavily impacted by the lockdown. This may be attributed to the kids’ sudden shift to online learning, where they are expected to learn the skill while they also learn to navigate the new mode of teaching.

“Speaking as a reading teacher, I have seen a major impact on a very foundational skill in the life of our students and that is in the area of reading. There has been a huge reading gap in that span of 3 years. Kids come to us and upon assessment at the age of 6 or 7 years old, their reading skill is that of a 3-5-year-old. The effect is so evident that reading 3-letter words or spelling them, for instance, is heavily labored. The struggle is so apparent that most of the time emotional and social confidence are greatly affected.”
Teacher Sofie

When online classes were starting to become the primary mode of teaching and learning, many teachers and students expressed their preference for the face-to-face modality. Needless to say, there are certain lessons better delivered and learned when teachers and students are in a physical classroom.

“As a homeschooling mom for 7 years, I have seen that my kids struggle in certain academic areas such as math. In the case of our family, I believe it would have been easier to address this in a face-to-face setup. Even as a homeschooling mom, I get help in areas I am not very confident in teaching and the pandemic and online learning weren’t so beneficial for them at that time.”
Teacher Sofie

Now that these needs are identified, what should parents and teachers do? Teacher Sofie offers four ways adults can help their kids cope.

The first step in solving a kid’s problem is always to identify it. Without this humility to acknowledge and accept that there is a need to be addressed, there will be no movement in the growth and progress of a child. After this first step, Teacher Sofie recommends working with others and getting help from experts in a certain field.

“The parents and the teachers are actually partners in addressing this need. The teachers can only do much in giving certain tools, programs, materials that are highly structured or customized to aid the gap. The parents’ support on the other hand play crucial role in attaining success.”
Teacher Sofie

Parents and teachers now face a challenge they haven’t faced before: to care for and nurture children who have gone through the pandemic. Now that adults see the effect of the lockdowns on the children, their job to parent and to teach requires them to listen more.

“Teachers advance their skills and continue to grow in the post-pandemic setup. So far in our setup, we have seen great transformation when the following are given: encouragement (affirmation and rewards especially for trying or for an accomplished task), an environment to learn and grow, skilled mentors and teachers, a structured program to address academic skills, consistency, and intentionality.”
Teacher Sofie

Creative and innovative strategies may work to address the kids’ needs, but the old school ways of making them learn a skill should not be thrown out the window.

“As an ‘old dinosaur mom’ who thrives in the old and traditional way of teaching, I must say that this still works. If addressing skills in the area of reading and math works, for instance, what is really there to add? Structure is very important in addressing these foundational skills, but adding up something innovative or creative? Why not, if you feel that your child needs more to help him or her understand a concept.”
Teacher Sofie

Now that face-to-face classes are back, parents can take this to their advantage of helping their kids develop not only academically, but also emotionally and socially. The pandemic may have its way of dragging the kids’ spirits down, but it is up to parents, teachers, and adults to shape their future by supplementing what was lost by making their activities purposeful and intentional.

“Character traits such as confidence, discipline, perseverance, critical thinking, and sportsmanship also grow when kids are exposed to sports, music, and arts in a face-to-face setup. During the 3-year pandemic, my girls tried online classes for these but admittedly there is a big difference now that they are doing these classes face to face. The gains in just a few weeks are amazing! Nothing beats face-to-face and real-time corrections and mentoring. As parents and teachers, we simply have to identify their needs and actively participate in addressing them. We are all partners in paving the way as well as building up our kids today, so they’ll be the best versions of themselves tomorrow.”
Teacher Sofie