West Chester resident Kristin Wills, a reading specialist at Avon Grove Charter School, has experienced, both personally and professionally, the struggle of second-graders to adjust to the in-classroom school year, writes Mike DeNardo for KYW Newsradio.

The pandemic has been particularly challenging for this year’s second-graders, many of whom are experiencing their first full year of in-person classes. 

Wills’s daughter, Penelope, spent all of first grade studying remotely, and that had an impact on her grades. 

“Penelope was home all year last year, and that did affect her academics,” said Wills. “She was behind in reading when we started school this year.” 

She also had to adjust to the rules of in-person classes, such as having to raise her hand to talk. Wills, who teaches first-, second-, and third-graders, has noticed the same issues with most of her students.

“At this point in the year, I see more of an academic lag, and that is everywhere,” she said. “That is just something that as teachers we’re going to have to deal with for the next several years.” 

However, there is a silver lining. 

“While COVID did take a lot of things away from these second-graders, I will tell you that they’re probably some of the most resilient children that I teach,” she said. 

Read more at KYW Newsradio.