Kids' Executive Function Skills Took a Hit During COVID. What Can Schools Do?

Why It Matters

Slowed development of executive function threatens academic performance and long‑term well‑being, making targeted school interventions a critical policy priority.

Key Takeaways

• Executive function growth slowed during pandemic
• Study tracked 3,100 Massachusetts children 2018‑2023
• Income gaps did not widen executive function decline
• Schools urged to embed self‑regulation supports

Pulse Analysis

The pandemic’s disruption of daily routines and social interaction created a perfect storm for children’s executive function development, a set of cognitive abilities that underpins attention, working memory, and self‑control. Harvard’s Early Learning Study at Harvard (ELS@H) provides a rare six‑year window into how these skills evolved before, during, and after COVID‑19. By comparing assessment scores of over 3,000 children, researchers identified a measurable slowdown in skill acquisition, confirming earlier concerns that prolonged remote learning and reduced peer engagement could erode foundational cognitive growth.

While socioeconomic stressors intensified for many families, the study surprisingly found no additional widening of the income‑related executive function gap. This suggests that the pandemic’s impact was broadly systemic, affecting children across income levels rather than exacerbating existing disparities. The findings reinforce the notion that executive function is highly sensitive to environmental consistency and adult‑child interaction, regardless of household income, highlighting the need for universal, not just targeted, remedial strategies.

For educators and policymakers, the implications are clear: schools must embed structured opportunities for children to practice self‑regulation, goal‑setting, and flexible thinking within everyday curricula. Interventions such as guided mindfulness, collaborative problem‑solving, and explicit instruction in planning can rebuild the neural pathways weakened by isolation. Investing in professional development that equips teachers to recognize and support executive function deficits will not only improve classroom behavior but also bolster long‑term academic outcomes, making up for the pandemic‑induced learning loss.