Summary: A large longitudinal study finds that the COVID-19 pandemic substantially slowed the development of executive function (EF) in children aged 3 to 11. Executive function — the set of cognitive skills that govern attention, self-control, working memory, and goal-directed behavior — typically advances quickly during early childhood. The study shows a meaningful drop in the expected growth of these skills after the pandemic began, with implications for academic performance, classroom behavior, and long-term well-being.
Researchers followed more than 3,100 children in Massachusetts from 2018 through 2023 and measured EF using a validated tablet-based assessment. Growth rates in EF after the pandemic’s start were lower than established national norms across every socioeconomic group in the sample. The authors describe this pattern as a “developmental stall” or “cognitive stalling,” and argue that children will likely need targeted, systemic support to rebuild these foundational skills.
Key Facts
- Widespread impact: The slowdown in EF growth appeared across all income brackets; the typical pre-pandemic gap associated with household income narrowed because most children experienced slowed development.
- Notable decline: Children who had previously met or exceeded age-based EF benchmarks showed scores below nationally normed averages after the pandemic began.
- Systemic shock: Researchers link the decline to pandemic-related disruptions such as parental stress, social isolation, illness, and interrupted access to usual education and childcare.
- Long-term risk: Early EF skills predict later health, academic outcomes, and workplace success. Stalled EF development may underlie rising behavioral challenges, academic struggles, and increased absenteeism.
Source: Society for Research in Child Development
How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect young children’s executive function?
Executive function describes interrelated cognitive processes that help children focus attention, control impulses, hold information in mind, and act toward goals. Because EF develops rapidly in early childhood and supports later learning and wellbeing, disruptions during this period can have broad consequences. The research team sought to document how EF trajectories changed after the onset of the pandemic by analyzing repeated assessments collected before, during, and after the most intense pandemic period.
The study used data from the Early Learning Study at Harvard (ELS@H), a representative, population-based longitudinal study in Massachusetts, following 3,107 children between ages 3 and 11 from 2018 to 2023. The sample was about half female and included children who identified as White (74.6%), Hispanic (18.3%), Black (11.8%), and Asian (10.7%). Family incomes represented a broad range, with many households reporting incomes between $75,000 and $200,000 and substantial representation above and below those brackets.
Children completed the Minnesota Executive Function Scale (MEFS), a tablet-based measure of EF, across multiple waves. Comparing trajectories before and after the pandemic, the researchers observed that the average rate of EF growth following the pandemic’s onset was substantially lower — roughly a half standard deviation below expectations based on prior national norms and historical data. Importantly, this slowdown occurred across all socioeconomic subgroups in the sample.
The authors interpret these patterns as consistent with the pandemic acting as a broad, external shock to the environments that normally support EF development. Parental stress, economic strain, health challenges, social isolation, and irregular access to formal early education and care likely combined to diminish opportunities for children to practice and develop EF skills.
Implications for families, educators, policymakers, and researchers
The study highlights that many of the behavioral and attentional difficulties educators and families report since the pandemic may reflect a true developmental slowdown in EF. Supporting children now will require more than conventional remediation: it calls for intentional strategies that strengthen EF and improve the environments that promote it. For families and teachers, this means prioritizing routines, scaffolding self-control and attention, and using classroom practices that build EF skills. For policymakers and administrators, investments that expand access to high-quality early education, mental health supports, and family resources are likely to help recovery. For researchers, the findings underscore the need to investigate EF as a key mechanism linking pandemic-related disruptions to later academic and behavioral outcomes.
Study limitations
The authors note several limitations. Pandemic constraints changed the timing and method of data collection: in-person assessments in the first waves shifted to virtual administration for later waves. Although pilot tests and robustness checks provided confidence in the measures, mode changes could influence results. The sample is population-based for Massachusetts and may not fully generalize to other states or countries. Finally, while the longitudinal design and the external nature of the pandemic strengthen causal inference about timing and directionality, the study cannot definitively attribute the EF slowdown to any single pandemic-related factor.
Future directions
Further research should unpack how executive function relates to post-pandemic academic struggles, behavioral concerns, and absenteeism. Longitudinal work that examines mechanisms — such as family stress, changes in caregiving, or educational disruptions — will help identify targeted interventions. The authors plan to continue analyzing ELS@H data with an ecological lens to better understand pathways and to inform policy and practice that support EF recovery.
Funding: This research was funded by the Saul Zaentz Charitable Foundation.
Key Questions Answered:
A: The study describes a “developmental stall” in executive function: pandemic-related disruptions appear to have slowed the normal growth of the cognitive skills children rely on for self-control, attention, and classroom engagement.
A: No. The research found slowed EF growth across all income groups in the sample. The pandemic functioned as a systemic shock that affected children broadly.
A: Recovery is possible, but it often requires intentional supports beyond routine tutoring. Strengthening executive function calls for targeted strategies in classrooms and at home, supportive policies, and investments that improve children’s learning environments.
Editorial Notes:
- This article was edited by a Neuroscience News editor.
- The journal paper was reviewed in full by staff.
- Additional context was added to clarify implications and limitations.
About this research on neurodevelopment and COVID-19
Author: Jessica Efstathiou
Source: Society for Research in Child Development
Contact: Jessica Efstathiou – Society for Research in Child Development
Image: Image credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Closed access. “The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Young Children’s Executive Function: A Longitudinal, Population-based Study” by Stephanie M. Jones, Caitlin M. Dermody, Alan F. Mozaffari, Jenn Acosta, and Nonie K. Lesaux. DOI: 10.1093/chidev/aacag003
Abstract
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Young Children’s Executive Function: A Longitudinal, Population-based Study
This population-based longitudinal study tracked 3,107 children (50.4% female; 74.6% White, 18.3% Hispanic, 11.8% Black, 10.7% Asian) from ages 3 to 11 between 2018 and 2023. Executive function, a core cognitive capacity linked to health, academic success, and well-being, was measured repeatedly using a standardized tablet assessment. Results show that the average rate of EF growth after the pandemic began was substantially lower — about 0.5 standard deviations below developmental expectations based on prior national norms. The pattern occurred across socioeconomic groups, suggesting a broad pandemic influence on children’s EF and highlighting the importance of supporting EF development as part of recovery efforts.