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HELPING THE COVID AND IPAD GENERATION REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL

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COVID is over - but the developmental story is not

The disruption was not only academic. It was physical, social and regulatory.

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The Impact Heatmap: Diagnosing the Development Gap

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Cognitive flexibility: is the brain's ability to switch from one task to another. Shift thinking, adapt behaviour and switch between mental strategies and concepts. Reconfiguring the mindset and immediately working on a different thing.

Perspective taking: Stepping into someone else's shoes and being able to adjust to social and emotional responses.

Adaptability to change: the capacity to pivot your plans and behaviours when external rules and environment changes.

The more flexible your brain is, the more resilient you are, and the better your mental health is!

The brain's ability to logically plan leads to judgement and reasoning.

Cognitive Flexibility

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What we may be seeing in our classrooms

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COVID and increased technology use did not simply reduce physical activity. For some boys, they reduced daily opportunities to move, play, take risks, negotiate with peers and learn to manage their bodies.

When movement opportunities disappear, development can be affected.

During COVID, many children had fewer chances to run, climb, throw, catch, balance, rough-and-tumble play, play games with peers and participate in organised sport. For some boys, this meant less practice in the very movement experiences through which they develop body awareness, confidence, self-regulation and social competence.

We are not diagnosing children, blaming parents or declaring a lost generation. We are recognising that development depends on practice, and many children had less access to that practice.

Physical activity can be seen as TWO connected lenses:

1)Physical literacy

2) Movement literacy

Movement affects the brains ability to develop and organise information

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What do we mean by gross-motor development?

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We often focus on behaviour, handwriting, sport performance or fitness at the top of the pyramid, while missing gaps in the movement foundations underneath which haven’t been practised enough.

The need is not the same at every age. Younger boys need playful repetition. Pre-adolescent boys need safe opportunities to build confidence. Adolescents need movement experiences that protect dignity and reconnect them with their bodies.

At ages five to six, boys need repeated playful opportunities to hop, skip, crawl, climb, balance, jump, land, throw, catch and move in different directions.

At ages ten to twelve, boys become more aware of peers and social comparison, so movement competency introduced too late can be exposing. Our responsibility is to build competence without embarrassment.

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Different ages need different invitations to move

5-6: foundations

Playful repetition: hop, skip, crawl, climb, balance, jump, land, throw and catch.

10-12: confidence window

Boys become more aware of comparison. Competence must be built without embarrassment.

14-15: capacity and connection

Rebuild strength, confidence, routine and belonging without making movement a public test.

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How movement can show up in the classroom

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Classroom: Move, Reset, Learn

Use after extended sitting, before demanding work, after break, or when pupils need to reset.

Keep it adaptable: step instead of jump, use a desk for balance, or breathe with eyes open.

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Grade: build movement literacy together

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School and home: make movement part of everyday life

The goal is not perfection or productivity. It is shared practice in movement, independence, problem-solving and connection.

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The hoped-for shift

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Movement is not a break from learning. It is one way pupils practise readiness for learning.

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