Integrating the ideas of mindful meditation into physical activities to improve executive function skills of kindergarten children

Abstract

This study aimed to examine whether physical activities based on mindful meditation can significantly enhance executive function (EF) skills in kindergarten children. A pre-experimental design was used, and purposive sampling was conducted to recruit the participants. A total of 87 kindergarten children were recruited, including 66 regular children and 21 who were screened as having a risk of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) based on a t-score of ≥ 1.5 on the Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham Rating Scale-IV (SNAP-IV). The participants received one hour of training every day, four days per week, for eight weeks. The modified Thai version of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool (BRIEF-P) was administered before and after the intervention. Paired t-tests were conducted to determine if there were any significant differences between the pre- and post-tests for children with and without a risk of ADHD. Independent t-tests were also conducted to determine if there were any significant differences between children with and without a risk of ADHD. The intervention significantly enhanced the participants' performance on the full BRIEF scale and all subscales (inhibition, cognitive flexibility, emotion control, working memory, and planning). Additionally, significant differences in cognitive flexibility, inhibition, and emotion management were found between children with and without a risk of ADHD in the pre- and post-tests. Overall, the intervention effectively enhanced the executive function of kindergarten students at risk of ADHD. However, interpretation of the study’s results should be done with caution due to the lack of a control group and random sampling. A true experimental design is suggested to overcome these limitations.