elementary school
Research Papers
Effects of Mindful Awareness Practices on Executive Functions in Elementary School Children
A school-based program of mindful awareness practices (MAPs) was evaluated in a randomized control study of 64 second- and third-grade children ages 7–9 years. The program was delivered for 30 minutes, twice per week, for 8 weeks. Teachers and parents completed questionnaires assessing children's executive function immediately before and following the 8-week period. Multivariate analysis of covariance on teacher and parent reports of executive function (EF) indicated an interaction effect between baseline EF score and group status on posttest EF. That is, children in the MAPs group who were less well regulated showed greater improvement in EF compared with controls. Specifically, those children starting out with poor EF who went through the MAPs training showed gains in behavioral regulation, metacognition, and overall global executive control. These results indicate a stronger effect of MAPs on children with executive function difficulties. The finding that both teachers and parents reported changes suggests that improvements in children's behavioral regulation generalized across settings. Future work is warranted using neurocognitive tasks of executive functions, behavioral observation, and multiple classroom samples to replicate and extend these preliminary findings.
View Full Paper →EEG Biofeedback Training and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in an Elementary School Setting
Introduction: EEG biofeedback was conducted on site in an elementary school. Method: An experimental group of eight children ages 8-10 completed 35-47 sessions of EEG biofeedback training over a six-month period. Four participants in the experimental group were diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and four were not diagnosed with ADHD. Eight children in the waitlist control group were matched to the experimental group on age, grade, teacher, and diagnosis. None of the 16 participants were medicated for ADHD. Results: Attention abilities as measured by the Test of Variables of Attention showed the experimental group of children with ADHD reduced errors of commission and anticipation, indicating a reduction in impulsivity. Teacher reports using the McCarney Scale indicated improvements in attention but no changes in impulsivity and hyperactiv-ity. Discussion: Several confounds require exploration before attribution of changes are assigned to neurofeedback. Whether the effects are due to the neurofeedback protocols, attendance at individual sessions away from the classroom, the attention of the technician, or the excitement of a special program cannot be determined with this study. It will be necessary to have a placebo group in order to separate systematically the variables in the training program.
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