#  Students lost months of learning due to COVID school closures. What can parents do to help? 

 





January 30, 2023

 

 

 *For all the talk of life getting back to normal, school hasn't been the same in years.*

 Three years since the coronavirus pandemic shuttered schools across the U.S., students have experienced [one disruption after another](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2022/09/28/4-day-school-week-texas-study/10427316002/): a COVID outbreak here, a [flood there](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2023/01/13/california-flooding-weather-schools-san-francisco/11035133002/), an ice storm, hurricane, or tornado over there. [Community events](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2023/01/29/college-admissions-first-gen-students-help-peers-attend-elite-schools/11033892002/), school-related violence, even [water system breakdowns](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2023/01/13/jackson-water-crisis-shuttered-schools-experts-warn-learning-loss/11002945002/) have disrupted class.

 [New research](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-022-01506-4) published Monday in the journal [Nature Human Behaviour](https://www.nature.com/nathumbehav/) concludes that the combination of pandemic-related school closures, the shift to virtual learning where it was even an option and the mental health toll on students set kids back by about a third of a year. The analysis concluded as much based on a review of 42 other studies conducted in 15 countries. Nearly all the world's student population experienced school closures because of COVID.

 That probably sounds familiar, but despite [billions of dollars](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2022/10/11/covid-aid-primary-education-falls-short/8236320001/) pouring into schools to make up for lost time, the gap hasn't closed substantially over time – though it hasn't gotten worse, either. Researchers concluded students' math skills took a bigger dive than reading. Meanwhile, kids from lower-income families, and countries, fared the worst.

 "We don’t see a clear pattern for this deficit being recovered," said lead author [Bastian A. Betthäuser, of Sciences Po](https://www.sciencespo.fr/osc/en/node/2315.html) in Paris. "That’s certainly concerning."



 

 

 



 

 See also:- [ COVID-19 Impact ](/focus-areas/covid-19-impact)
- [ In the News ](/cepr-in-the-news)
- [ 2023 ](/year/2023)
 
 

 Share on:- [     Facebook ](#)
- [     Twitter ](#)
- [     Linkedin ](#)