Before the pandemic, Sabrina Juarez had been looking forward to having her daughter start kindergarten. Alicianna, a bubbly little girl who loves art and math, also couldn’t wait.
However, the now 7-year-old’s behavior deteriorated so badly during distance learning that she struggled with fundamental skills like learning to read. It was an arduous experience for the whole family.
“She was crying a lot and throwing a lot of fits. She was way quicker to get frustrated and give up, and she absolutely hated having to record herself reading,” said the San Leandro mother of two. “I am worried it will happen again. I don’t know if we could handle distance learning again.”