Promotion of Street-Dance Training on the Executive Function in Preschool Children

Abstract

Executive function is the center of cognitive function, emotional function, and social function, and plays an important role in children's cognitive development. Previous studies used music, sports, and other training methods to promote the development of children's executive function. but researchers are still exploring more comprehensive and effective training methods. Street-dance, as a comprehensive dance form integrating the characteristics of movement, music, rhythm, and so on, needs the coordination of individual sensory systems and a sense of musical rhythm and action. These are the same activity elements found in previous studies that can improve the individual executive function of children. In order to investigate the promoting effect of street-dance training on children's executive function, this study designed a street-dance training program integrating the characteristics of each component of executive function. Sixty preschool children around the age of four (M = 52.4, SD = 3.95) participated using the pretest-posttest experimental design. The dancing group conducted street-dance training 3 times a week, 40-50 min each time for a total of 24 times; the control group did not train. We discovered that 8 weeks of street-dance training can promote the development of executive function in preschool children, and we discussed about the potential mechanism of the street dance training effects and the implications of intervention programs.

The Effect of an 8-Week Aerobic Dance Program on Executive Function in Children

“…Working memory as measured by the Digit Recall score was also enhanced after the aerobic dance program but not for participants in the control group. These findings are in line with previous reports that creative dance training significantly influenced EF in children (Yetti et al, 2019) and with findings that a street dance program significantly improved cognitive flexibility, inhibition and working memory in preschool children (Shen et al, 2020). Oppici et al (2020) gave support in their finding that dance practice coupled with a high cognitive challenge improved working memory in children.…”

“…Moreno opined that short-term music training for 6 months significantly improved behavior and changed the growth of synapses, showing that music is a means of fostering brain plasticity (Moreno et al, 2009). As noted above, Shen et al (2020) also showed that street-dance training can improve children’s cognitive flexibility, and, similarly, Kosmat and Vranic (2017) found that elders with predispositions toward cognitive decline showed significantly better results in terms of their cognitive flexibility and their working memory after 10 weeks of classic dance, compared to elders who did not dance.…”

“…Regarding our finding of working memory improvement from the aerobic dance program, it is important to note that working memory is the process of storing and processing information (Shen et al, 2020). In our intervention, participants were asked to retain each of the dance movements they had performed within a long choreographic routine consisting of all four dance movements.…”

Dance Improves Motor, Cognitive, and Social Skills in Children With Developmental Cerebellar Anomalies

“…Therefore, with its social, physical, and creative components, dance appears as an ideal candidate to boost executive functions, and more specifically cognitive flexibility. Note that previous studies reported the effect of dance on cognitive flexibility in aging people (Coubard et al, 2011) and in pre-school children (Shen et al, 2020). This suggests that the effect of dance on cognitive flexibility is not limited to the current study's protocol and patients.…”

Promoting Executive Function Skills in Preschoolers Using a Play-Based Program

“…A growing body of literature has demonstrated that EF can be enhanced throughout the lifespan, and in particular in pre-schoolers, with interventions and targeted training ( Zelazo, 2020 ; for a review, see Scionti et al, 2020 ). For example, studies have demonstrated that interventions that feature cognitive exercises (e.g., Röthlisberger et al, 2012 ), street dancing (e.g., Shen et al, 2020 ), or musical training (e.g., Moreno et al, 2011 ) effectively enhance EF in preschoolers. In a study with children 3–6 years of age, the authors tested the efficacy of an play intervention using wooden blocks ( Schmitt et al, 2018 ).…”