Read my lips: masks are affecting education

Wearing masks as a result of the pandemic has made an impact on us all and changed how we communicate. We have realised we rely on lip reading more than we thought and have got used to asking people to repeat themselves while still remaining socially distant. This is difficult for us as adults, but much harder for children.

Spoken language is the main method for teaching children. When teachers wear masks, their voices do not carry well, placing an extra strain on their vocal cords, as well as making it more difficult for children to hear, particularly for the many with glue ear.

Very young children need to hear clearly to learn how to talk and any disruption to this can have a significant impact on their developing speech and language skills. In school, trying to distinguish between sounds such as p and t for speech and literacy development can be very difficult when you can’t see the mouth.

In a recent report by the Education Endowment Foundation, 96 per cent of schools said they were concerned about pupils’ language and communication skills due to Covid. There are a number of reasons for this but wearing masks will not be helping.

We also communicate through facial expression and use this to make our meaning explicit. We learn when very young what these facial expressions mean. We understand how they can alter the meaning of words which are spoken to give a sense of the feeling behind what is being said. We also mirror facial expressions in others to build trust and empathy. When only the eyes are available to communicate, the degree to which we can use facial expression is limited.

It is likely that children will acquire this subconscious knowledge at home. However, when their peers or teachers are wearing masks, it can be difficult for a child to know what message is being conveyed. This can lead to confusion and uncertainty.

We don’t yet fully know the impact of wearing masks for children, but the use of government-approved clear masks could help reduce the impact. This is particularly important for the high-risk groups who are likely to struggle disproportionately with the negative impact of wearing masks: children with learning needs; children living in areas of deprivation and with high social need; children who have no obvious identified need but whose progress at school is hard-won.

Mask wearing is only one of the impacts on children during the pandemic. Limitations on activities are leading to a reduction in exposure to new vocabulary while the time required for Covid safety measures in schools and the community leave less time for helping struggling children.

Nevertheless, being aware of the specific effects of wearing masks now and in the future can help us find ways to compensate for the negative impact they are having. It may change how we communicate, but it shouldn’t stop us finding other ways to talk and get our message across.

Dr Yvonne Wren is the director of Bristol Speech & Language Therapy Research Unit, North Bristol NHS Trust, a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Bristol, an Expert Adviser to the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and a Trustee for I CAN, the children’s communication charity