Preschool Program Improves Cognitive Control

Diamond, Adele; Barnett, W. Steven; Thomas, Jessica; Munro, Sarah

doi:10.1126/science.1151148

Cited by 1,690 publications

(1,431 citation statements)

References 20 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

1,305

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Indeed, recent discussion of the Tools preschool curriculum offers a superb example of how a play-learning environment can be both structured and academically rich (Diamond, Barnett, Thomas, & Munro, 2007). Given the relationship between beliefs and children's behavior, might experts report that their own children engage in more unstructured than structured play activities?…”

Section: Conceptual Split 28mentioning

confidence: 99%

Conceptual split? Parents' and experts' perceptions of play in the 21st century

Fisher

Hirsh‐Pasek

Golinkoff

et al. 2008

Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology

149

126

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Section: Conceptual Split 28mentioning

confidence: 99%

Conceptual split? Parents' and experts' perceptions of play in the 21st century

Fisher

Hirsh‐Pasek

Golinkoff

et al. 2008

Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology

149

126

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…1 and 2). Several neuropsychiatric conditions and problems have been related to deficiencies in self-regulation [e.g., Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (3), addiction (4), risk behavior (5), conduct problems (6), and poor school and academic performance (7,8)]. Although development of self-regulation in children is the result of a dynamic interaction between maturation and learning, we have scarce knowledge about the role played by structural brain characteristics in this process.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Multimodal imaging of the self-regulating developing brain

Fjell

Walhovd

Brown

et al. 2012

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

203

185

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Self-regulation refers to the ability to control behavior, cognition, and emotions, and self-regulation failure is related to a range of neuropsychiatric problems. It is poorly understood how structural maturation of the brain brings about the gradual improvement in self-regulation during childhood. In a large-scale multicenter effort, 735 children (4-21 y) underwent structural MRI for quantification of cortical thickness and surface area and diffusion tensor imaging for quantification of the quality of major fiber connections. Brain development was related to a standardized measure of cognitive control (the flanker task from the National Institutes of Health Toolbox), a critical component of self-regulation. Ability to inhibit responses and impose cognitive control increased rapidly during preteen years. Surface area of the anterior cingulate cortex accounted for a significant proportion of the variance in cognitive performance. This finding is intriguing, because characteristics of the anterior cingulum are shown to be related to impulse, attention, and executive problems in neurodevelopmental disorders, indicating a neural foundation for self-regulation abilities along a continuum from normality to pathology. The relationship was strongest in the younger children. Properties of large-fiber connections added to the picture by explaining additional variance in cognitive control. Although cognitive control was related to surface area of the anterior cingulate independently of basic processes of mental speed, the relationship between white matter quality and cognitive control could be fully accounted for by speed. The results underscore the need for integration of different aspects of brain maturation to understand the foundations of cognitive development.executive function | cognitive conflict | inhibition | morphometry S elf-regulation enables people to make plans, choose from alternatives, control impulses, inhibit thoughts, and regulate social behavior (updated reviews in refs. 1 and 2). Several neuropsychiatric conditions and problems have been related to deficiencies in self-regulation [e.g., Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (3), addiction (4), risk behavior (5), conduct problems (6), and poor school and academic performance (7, 8)]. Although development of self-regulation in children is the result of a dynamic interaction between maturation and learning, we have scarce knowledge about the role played by structural brain characteristics in this process. Recent reports indicate that adjustment problems in childhood psychopathology are related to structural brain characteristics (9-13), but the brain basis for development of self-regulation in normal children is less well-understood. Thus, the purpose of the present paper was to use multimodal neuroimaging to map the structural brain characteristics related to self-regulation and cognitive control in a large sample of 735 children between 4 and 21 y of age.Self-regulation is closely tied to the concepts of cognitive control, attention, and executive f...

show abstract

“…In contrast, many existing activities and experiences of young children foster these cognitive control abilities (as exemplified by classroom activity and curricular approaches to EF development; Bodrova & Leong, 2007;Diamond, Barnett, Thomas, & Munro, 2007). If the relevant cognitive activities can be meaningfully embedded in everyday activitiesearlier, and in a way that constantly challenges and extends young children's EFs -this would provide distinct advantages over computerized approaches.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhancing Preschoolers’ Executive Functions Through Embedding Cognitive Activities in Shared Book Reading

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Given evidence that early executive functioning sets the stage for a broad range of subsequent outcomes, researchers have sought to identify ways to foster these cognitive capacities. The current series of studies sought to design, develop, and provide evidence for the efficacy of embedding cognitive activities in a commonplace activity-shared reading of a children's book. The book, Quincey Quokka's Quest, required children to control their thinking and behavior to help the story's main character through a series of obstacles. The first study investigated effects of reading with embedded cognitive activities in individual and group contexts on young children's executive functions (EFs). The second study compared reading with embedded cognitive activities against a more active control condition (dialogic reading) that similarly engaged children in the reading process yet lacked clear engagement of EFs. The third study sought to investigate whether the effect of reading the story with embedded EF activities changed across differing doses of the intervention and whether effects persisted 2 months post-intervention. All studies provided evidence of intervention effects on shifting, with working memory benefits shown in two of the three studies, in as little as 3 weeks (compared to more traditional reading). Study 3 further indicated maintenance of these gains 2 months later. This suggests the efficacy of embedding cognitive activities in the context of everyday activities, thereby extending the range of users and contexts in which this approach can be used. AbstractGiven evidence that early executive functioning sets the stage for a broad range of subsequent

show abstract

Preschool Program Improves Cognitive Control

Cited by 1,690 publications

References 20 publications

Conceptual split? Parents' and experts' perceptions of play in the 21st century

Conceptual split? Parents' and experts' perceptions of play in the 21st century

Multimodal imaging of the self-regulating developing brain

Enhancing Preschoolers’ Executive Functions Through Embedding Cognitive Activities in Shared Book Reading

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About