we've long known that it's social, | emotional comfort and motivation children feel that provides - the foundation for cognitive growth and pre—literacy development, oral language development. i so, if kids are feeling anxious, - if they're wearing masks in pre—k, theyjust don't have that immediate social interaction and _ base—level confidence - upon which learning occurs. jordyn�*s preschool and kindergarten years were upended by the pandemic, yet she's doing well at school academically and learning to deal with her anxiety. we do breathing, she does breath work. we do some meditation music that helps settle her in the evening. so, we're coping, it's getting better. just as kids get back on track, parents are hoping the 0micron variant doesn't mean a return to remote learning this winter. the unknown is yet another source of anxiety. laura trevelyan, bbc news, new york.