I keep thinking that this is a Child Development class and that we have talked about how social and environmental factors impact all areas of development. We have talked about malnutrition and how it can cause life-long problems, about the impact of poor schools on children’s academic success, about how early relationships and attachment contribute to psychosocial well-being. And I keep thinking that this is an incredible time not just in our lives but in history.

After nine months we are still relatively isolated and many schools are still closed. We can only speculate when it will end and what will happen next. If we step back and look at this current situation we see that all parts of the environment are impacted. How will children and their families be affected?

I have always included the impact of the environment on all developmental domains on the final exam. The question was: How do social and environmental factors impact the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development of  children  in the early years (0-6 years)? and I let students give their own examples.

[That question matched up with this Student Learning Outcome: Analyze how cultural, economic, political, historical contexts affect children’s development.]

I have modified the question to reflect the current environment. Please address all domains of development (physical, cognitive, psychosocial) in your answer. 

Your answer should be at least two-three pages long.

Final Question:

How do you think current factors (Covid-19, the pandemic response, and its effects) might impact children’s development (physical, cognitive, psychosocial) in the near future and long term? 

You can include children of any age (0-18 years).

In considering how to answer look at the Bioecological Models on page 27 and page 584. 

There are many ways to answer this question including your personal experiences and what you have observed. Be sure to link what’s happening with what you think may, or may not, happen in the future. Remember that the passage of time is part of the environment.