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Two-year impact of a mindfulness-based program on preschoolers self-regulation and academic performance.
Early Education and Development
Short Title: Early Education and Development
Format: Journal Article
Publication Date: Nov 30, 2015
Sources ID: 26506
Visibility: Public (group default)
Abstract: (Show)
Students experienced a mindfulness program designed to enhance their selfregulation in prekindergarten and kindergarten. At the end of the 1st year of the program, these students showed improvements in teacher-reported executive function skills, specifically related to working memory and planning and organizing, whereas students in a business as usual control group showed a decline in these areas. No difference between the groups’ receptive vocabulary was found in prekindergarten. At the end of kindergarten, the mindfulness group had higher vocabulary and reading scores than the business as usual group. Practice or Policy: These findings suggest that mindfulness practices may be a promising technique that teachers can use in early childhood settings to enhance preschoolers’ executive functioning, with academic benefits emerging in the kindergarten year.