Can low-cost school games boost executive functions in preschoolers?
A simple, low-cost group game program significantly improved five-year-olds' memory, self-control, and mental flexibility compared to regular preschool activities.
Source
Improving executive function in childhood: evaluation of a training intervention for 5-year-old children
Study at a glance
- Design
- Human experiment — Play-based EF training (12×30 min) vs regular kindergarten curriculum in disadvantaged areas
- N
- N=75 · 32 training, 43 control; ages 62–76 months
- Population
- Five-year-olds in low-income Italian kindergartens
- Outcome
- Working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility after training
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Can low-cost school games boost executive functions in preschoolers?
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75 children in the final sample
The final sample consequently consisted of 75 children ranging in age from 62 to 76 months ( M age = 68.6; SD = 3.5; 53% female): 43 children comprised the control group ( M = 68.6; SD = 3.6; age range: 62–75 month; 58% female), and 32 children comprised the training group ( M = 68.7; SD = 3.5; range: 63–76 months; 47% female).
12 training sessions
The intervention was performed three times a week and it included 12 sessions of approximately 30 min each over approximately 1 month; the training took place at school in a silent room during the kindergarten day.
What they did
Researchers tested a play-based executive function program with five-year-old children from low-income areas in Italy. A final sample of 75 children was split into a group that received the training and a control group that followed the regular school curriculum. The training was delivered in small groups for 12 sessions, with each session lasting 30 minutes, over the course of a month. Researchers measured the children's skills before and after the training across several cognitive tasks, including working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility.
What they found
Children in the training group showed significant improvements in several cognitive skills compared to the control group, with effects ranging from medium to large. Specifically, they performed better on tasks measuring working memory, motor self-control, and cognitive flexibility. However, the results were mixed for emotional self-control tasks, where trained children did not consistently outperform their peers.
The limits
What it doesn't show
The study did not use an active control group, meaning some benefits could simply stem from receiving extra adult attention rather than the specific games. Additionally, because a trained psychologist ran the sessions, it remains unclear if regular classroom teachers could achieve the same results. Finally, the researchers did not measure the long-term persistence of these cognitive improvements or their direct impact on later school performance.
Key terms
- Executive Function
- Cognitive processes that enable goal-directed behavior, including self-control, working memory, and mental flexibility.
- Cool EF
- Cognitive control processes triggered by abstract, emotionally neutral problems.
- Hot EF
- Cognitive control processes required in situations involving high emotional stakes, motivation, or rewards.
- Working Memory
- The system responsible for temporarily holding and manipulating information in one's mind.
- Cognitive Flexibility
- The ability to switch between different rules, thoughts, or tasks in response to changing demands.
- Inhibition
- The ability to suppress impulsive or automatic responses in favor of goal-appropriate behavior.
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In the context of executive function (EF) development, how do researchers distinguish between hot and cool EFs?
Common questions
Why did the researchers focus on five-year-olds?
The preschool period is a time of rapid growth in executive functions, and early intervention can boost school readiness before formal education begins.
What did the training actually look like?
It consisted of interactive, play-based challenges using fantasy stories and roles (like a director) with cheap, everyday physical materials.
Did the games help children control their emotions?
The findings on emotionally charged tasks were inconsistent, suggesting the training was more effective for neutral, cognitive tasks than for emotional self-regulation.
How did the researchers make sure the kids didn't just get better at the test?
The assessment tests used completely different tasks and materials from the games played during the training sessions.
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