Mindfulness-Based Program Embedded Within the Existing Curriculum Improves Executive Functioning and Behavior in Young Children: A Waitlist Controlled Trial

Abstract

There is a growing evidence base for mindfulness-based interventions in educational settings. Notably, there has been little investigation of the potential benefits of classroom-based mindfulness programs in children in the early school years (Preparatory/Kindergarten, Grades 1 and 2) despite early childhood being a period characterized by the development of self-regulation and executive functions. The present study investigated the effects of a mindfulness program that was embedded within a school curriculum. This waitlist controlled trial investigated the effects of a mindfulness program, CalmSpace, delivered by classroom teachers across two school terms. A total of 55 students, Mage = 76.4 months, SD = 8.62, were allocated to participate in CalmSpace in Terms 3 and 4. Thirty-six students in the waitlist control condition, Mage = 80.53 months, SD = 13.04, participated in the intervention in Term 4. The start of Term 3 served as baseline (Time 1), and measures were obtained at the end of Term 3 (Time 2) and the end of Term 4 (Time 3). Direct measures of executive functioning using the Flanker Inhibitory Control and Attention Test (Flanker Task) and Dimensional Change Card Sort Task (DCCS) from the National Institute of Health Toolkit were obtained. Teachers’ report of children’s behavior was also obtained using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (Teacher version) at the beginning and at the end of Term 3, and at the end of Term 4. Children who received the CalmSpace program showed improvements on the DCCS relative to waitlist control at Time 2 (Cohen’s d = 0.48) and Time 3 (Cohen’s d = 1.10). Similar results were found on the Flanker Task with greater improvements found at Time 2 (Cohen’s d = 0.77) and Time 3 (Cohen’s d = 1.33). Teachers reported improvements for those receiving CalmSpace at Time 2 on total SDQ scores, Emotional Symptoms, Conduct Problems, Hyperactivity/Attention (Cohen’s d = 0.32, 0.14, 0.46, 0.30, 0.33, and 0.53, respectively) compared to waitlist control and at Time 3 (Cohen’s d = 0.85, 0.37, 0.48, and 0.90, respectively). The findings demonstrate that implementing the CalmSpace program can lead to improvements in EF and attention for young children. Despite limitations, this study provides promising evidence that the inclusion of focused, targeted mindfulness activities throughout the day may represent a value-added component to the regular school curriculum that can result in benefits for the students.

Mindfulness-Based Versus Story Reading Intervention in Public Elementary Schools: Effects on Executive Functions and Emotional Health

“…Higher order EFs, such as reasoning, problem solving and planning (Collins and Koechlin, 2012;Janz et al, 2019) are developed and promote the exploration and creation of new behavioral strategies. They also help limit impulsive responses, regulate emotions, and prevent bad decisions (Blair, 2016).…”

Mindfulness in Education: Insights Towards an Integrative Paradigm

“…• Increases positive affect measures, such as a person's sense of happiness and optimism (Sampaio de Carvalho et al, 2017). • Improves executive functioning (Janz, Dawe, & Wyllie, 2019).…”

Project CaLM: A Pilot Intervention Integrating Mindfulness Strategies into Head Start Classrooms

“…The goal of Project CaLM is to foster preschoolers’ engagement in mindfulness activities through teachers’ behaviors. In other words, we focus on teachers as “agents of change” (Janz et al, 2019), and do so within a PAR framework. We are not aware of any existing classroom-based mindfulness programs that have emerged out of PAR collaborations between researchers and Head Start teachers.…”

“…Specifically, we sought to integrate teachers’ mindfulness activities with children into specific classroom routines, so that existing routines can then function as a cue, or reminder, to enact the new mindfulness practices (Fogg, 2020). Existing programs encourage teachers to use mindfulness with children throughout the school day (Janz et al, 2019; Razza et al, 2015; Schonert-Reichl et al, 2015). We sought to build on such interventions by integrating particular mindfulness activities into five distinct preschool classroom routines (e.g., mindful walking at recess, belly breathing at naptime, mindful eating at snack time, mindful observation during transitions, and learning about the mind-body connection with storybooks at circle time).…”