A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Executive Function and Language Skills Training on School Readiness in Preschool Children

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Executive Function; Language; Preschool Child
• Interventions: Behavioral: Language skills training; Other: Regular school curriculum; Behavioral: Executive functions training

• Registration Number: NCT02807831
• Lead Sponsor: University of Sao Paulo

Brief Summary

Background: environmental influences in the first years of life have a great impact on adulthood. Adequate environmental stimulation in the first years of life positively influence cognitive, emotional and neurological development. Studies show that high quality education for 3 to 6 years old children are cost-effective for diverse outcomes, such as socioemotional and cognitive development, as well as school performance. However, it is not clear why specific types of interventions are most effective on school readiness, an important precursor of literacy status and later life outcomes. Objectives: adapt to the Brazilian context two well-known intervention programs: (1) executive functions training developed by Diamond, and (2) oral language skills based on the Nuffield Programme developed by Snowling and colleagues. Methods: a randomized controlled trial involving 720 children (4 to 5 years old) allocated to three groups: (1) adapted school curriculum focusing on executive functions training, (2) adapted school curriculum focusing on oral language skills training, and (3) regular school curriculum.

Detailed Description

Not available

Basic Information
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Recruitment & Eligibility
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Study & Design

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2014-02
• Primary Completion: 2014-12
• Study Completion: 2014-12
• Status Verified: 2016-06
• Study First Submitted: 2016-06-10
• Study First Submitted QC: 2016-06-16
• Last Update Submitted: 2016-06-16
• Study First Posted: 2016-06-21
• Last Update Posted: 2016-06-21

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 582

Inclusion Criteria

• Schools interested in the intervention program
• Preschool children (4 to 6 years old)

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Exclusion Criteria

• Presence of any sensory impairment
• Intellectual disability

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Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Language skills training	Language skills training	-
Regular school curriculum	Regular school curriculum	-
Executive functions training	Executive functions training	-

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in school readiness	Beginning of the school year (baseline) and at the end of the school year (post intervention, 7 to 8 months later)	Assessed with a 43 items questionnaire developed by the research staff.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in inhibitory control	Beginning of the school year (baseline) and at the end of the school year (post intervention, 7 to 8 months later)	Inhibitory control assessed via the Flanker e Simon (Dots task) tests.
Change in working memory	Beginning of the school year (baseline) and at the end of the school year (post intervention, 7 to 8 months later)	Working memory assessed via the neuropsychological Automated Working Memory Assessment (AWMA).
Change in oral language skills	Beginning of the school year (baseline) and at the end of the school year (post intervention, 7 to 8 months later)	Expressive language assessed via the Child Language Test - ABFW.