Die COVID-19-Pandemie hat möglicherweise die Fähigkeit kleiner Kinder (2,5 bis 6,5 Jahre) beeinträchtigt, konzentriert zu bleiben, ihr Verhalten zu regulieren und sich an neue Situationen anzupassen

> The study, led by researchers at the University of East Anglia in England, tracked 139 children from ages 2.5 to 6.5 years using the Minnesota Executive Function Scale. Executive function (EF) is a set of cognitive processes that includes working memory, inhibition control, and cognitive flexibility and supports self-regulation and the ability to focus. EF can influence academic achievement, career and relationship satisfaction, and health outcomes

>When they compared EF scores at 30 months with scores at 78 months, they found that the relationship between the two time points varied depending on when children were tested relative to the first lockdown. 
>
>Children assessed within roughly one to three years after the start of the pandemic showed a weaker association between early and subsequent EF scores, indicating greater variability in developmental trajectories during that period. In contrast, children assessed more than three years from the lockdown period showed a stronger relationship between early and subsequent EF performance, suggesting more stable developmental patterns.
>
>Preschoolers more affected by pandemic disruptions
>
>Additional analyses examining EF development across multiple time points revealed differences based on children’s age when the pandemic began. Children who were in preschool at the onset of the pandemic showed steeper gains in EF over time than those who had already entered primary school, likely reflecting disruptions to early schooling, peer interaction, and routines, which may have been particularly consequential for the younger cohort. 

[Tracking the trajectory of executive function from 2.5 to 6.5 years of age and the impact of COVID-19 | Child Development | Oxford Academic](https://academic.oup.com/chidev/advance-article/doi/10.1093/chidev/aacag002/8497162)