Our Research

Projects:

This site hosts links to all collaborative projects run by the researcher team during 2020-2021 that are relevant to the implications that the pandemic had for children’s learning and wellbeing at home. The team is based at the University of Reading and projects are supported by the Undergraduate Research Opportunities (UROP) scheme, the  University Research Endowment Trust Fund Pump-Priming scheme and the Centre for Literacy and Multilingualism (CeLM).

We have documented good practice in homeschooling/distance learning and wellbeing/mental health during the COVID-19 lockdowns and inform policy planning for transition to regular in-school education.

The projects look at different aspects of responding to children’s needs:

1. Exploring the views of practitioners and families on distance learning, wellbeing/mental health during the lockdown and in transition back to formal schooling
2. Exploring home-led reading activities during the lockdown and in transition back to formal schooling

We aimed to identify:

• main needs of children and youth during school closures
• currently used good practices that help address these needs
• gaps in practice requiring further action and
• ways to plan for safe and effective school reopening

How did we do that?

For projects under special focus (1) above, we explored the views of professionals working with and families/carers of children and young people who may:

• have Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) with or without an education, health and care (EHC) plan
• have a child in need plan or a child protection plan
• be a looked-after child
• be a refugee or unaccompanied minor (and may speak English as an Additional Language)
• come from a disadvantaged background
• have been assessed as otherwise vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic

For projects under special focus (2) above, we explored home-led reading and writing activities with families/carers of children of primary-school age of different reading levels, including:

• literacy difficulties, such as dyslexia
• advanced learners
• multilingual learners or learners with English as their Additional Language (EAL)