The COVID-19 pandemic set kindergartners’ development back in several ways, according to new research led by Judith Perrigo, assistant professor of social welfare at UCLA Luskin. HealthDay News and several media outlets around the country shared the findings of the study, which found that post-pandemic kindergarten students on average scored significantly lower in language and thinking skills, social competence, and communication and general knowledge, when compared to pre-pandemic kids. But the research, published in JAMA Pediatrics, also revealed that kindergartners’ emotional maturity and resilience grew during lockdown, possibly due to increased exposure to adult stressors. While the researchers had hypothesized that scores would decrease across the board, “our results suggested a more complex picture,” they wrote.