Executive Function, School Readiness
Conditions
Keywords
Cognitive Development, Preschool education
Brief summary
This randomized controlled trial evaluates the effects of an 8-week cognitively enriched playful physical activity program on executive functions and school readiness in preschool children. Participants are assigned to either an experimental group receiving structured cognitively engaging movement activities or a control group receiving standard physical education.
Detailed description
This single-blind, parallel-group randomized controlled trial investigates the effects of a structured Playful Physical Activities (PPA) program on executive functions and school readiness in preschool children aged 5 years. Participants are randomly assigned to an experimental group receiving cognitively enriched physical activity sessions or a control group receiving standard physical education with equivalent frequency and duration. The intervention is conducted over 8 weeks (3 sessions/week, 60 minutes/session). Outcomes include inhibitory control, visuospatial memory, planning, and school readiness domains (mathematical, linguistic, and social competence), assessed at baseline and post-intervention.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALPlayful Physical Activities
Receives cognitively enriched movement-based intervention
BEHAVIORALStandard Physical Education Group
Receives usual physical education curriculum
Sponsors
Monira Aldhahi
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Masking description
Outcome assessors are blinded to group allocation; participants and instructors are not blinded.
Intervention model description
Participants are randomly assigned to either a cognitively enriched physical activity program or standard physical education.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
4 Years to 6 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Enrolled in preschool * No physical/intellectual disability * Parental consent
Exclusion criteria
* Neurological or developmental disorders * Sensory impairments * medications affecting Neurological system
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Executive function performance | Baseline (pre-intervention) and Week 8 (post-intervention) | Executive function performance will be assessed using standardized neuropsychological measures, including inhibitory control (Go/No-Go task; error rate), Performance is quantified as the number of commission errors (responses to No-Go stimuli). Lower error rates indicate better inhibitory control. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Visuospatial memory (BVMT-R immediate recall) | Baseline and Week 8 | Visuospatial memory will be assessed using the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised (BVMT-R) immediate recall condition. Performance is based on accuracy and spatial placement of reproduced figures. |
| Visuospatial memory (BVMT-R delayed recall) | Baseline and Week 8 | Delayed visuospatial memory will be assessed using the BVMT-R delayed recall condition, measuring retention and reproduction of previously presented figures after a delay period. |
| Planning and visuospatial organization (RCFT copy score) | Baseline and Week 8 | Planning ability and visuospatial organization will be assessed using the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (RCFT). Performance is quantified using standardized scoring based on accuracy and organization. |
| Linguistic competence | Baseline and Week 8 | Linguistic competence will be assessed through tasks evaluating vocabulary, categorization, and verbal instruction-following abilities. Higher scores indicate better language skills. |
| Social competence (QECS) | Baseline and Week 8 | Social competence will be assessed using the Social and Emotional Competencies Evaluation Questionnaire (QACSE; Questionnaire d'Évaluation des Compétences Sociales et Émotionnelles), a 39-item instrument comprising five domains: self-control, social awareness, relationship skills, social isolation, and social anxiety.Each item is rated on a Likert scale, and total scores are calculated by summing item responses. Scores range from \[39 to 156\] (depending on the response scale used). Higher scores indicate better social and emotional competencies, except for negatively oriented subscales (e.g., social anxiety and social isolation), which are reverse-coded prior to total score calculation. |
Countries
Tunisia
Outcome results
None listed