Articlehybrid2020

Combining physical and cognitive training to improve kindergarten children’s executive functions: A cluster randomized controlled trial

Mirko Schmidt · Myrto Foteini Mavilidi · Annina Singh · Chris Englert

70 citations0/0 files storedContemporary Educational Psychology

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Developmental and Educational Neuropsychology Early Childhood Education and Development Children's Physical and Motor Development

Abstract

Considering the convincing evidence that executive functions predict academic achievement significantly, strategies to foster executive functions in the early school years are highly requested. Besides traditional cognitive training, combined physical and cognitive interventions are intended to be a feasible way of enhancing both children’s daily physical activity and executive functions. The purpose of the present study was therefore to test the effectiveness of a six-week combined physical-cognitive intervention, and to compare it to both a sedentary cognitive intervention and a waitlist control group. Using a between-subjects experimental design, 189 children aged between four and six years (M = 5.34, SD = 0.59) were recruited from 14 kindergarten classes, which were randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions: (a) combined physical and cognitive training, (b) sedentary cognitive training or (c) waitlist control group. Before and after the interventions, all three core executive functions of updating, inhibition and shifting were measured. Physical activity was objectively measured using accelerometers during one intervention session. Linear mixed models revealed that children from both the combined physical-cognitive and the sedentary cognitive intervention improved their updating performance compared to the children of the control group. Inhibition and shifting remained unaffected by both interventions. With respect to children’s daily physical activity, linear mixed models showed that only the combined physical-cognitive intervention could significantly increase the amount of step counts. The results underline the feasibility of combined physical-cognitive interventions to enhance children’s daily physical activity and their cognitive performance.

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References

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2023Interventions and Approaches Targeting Early Self-Regulation or Executive Functioning in Preschools: A Systematic Review 2022Exercise types and working memory components during development 2022Effects of cognitive-motor dual task training on cognitive and physical performance in healthy children and adolescents: A scoping review 2021Cognitively enriched physical activity may foster motor competence and executive function as early as preschool age: a pilot trial

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