Preschool Program Improves Cognitive Control - The Science.pdfVIP

EDUCATIONFORUM THE EARLY YEARS Preschool Program Improves Cognitive control skills important for success in school and life are amenable to improvement in Cognitive Control at-risk preschoolers without costly interventions. 1 2 2 1 Adele Diamond, * W. Steven Barnett, Jessica Thomas, Sarah Munro xecutive functions (EFs), also called agreed to randomly assign teachers and chil- their second year of preschool (average age: cognitive control, are critical for success dren to these two curricula. Our study 5.1 years in both) who received dBL or Tools Ein school and life. Although EF skills included 18 classrooms initially and added 3 for 1 or 2 years. Those who entered in year 2 are rarely taught, they can be. The Tools of the more per condition the next year. Quality had attended other preschools for a year. All Mind (Tools) curriculum improves EFs in standards were set by the state. All class- came from the same neighborhood and were preschoolers in regular classrooms with regular rooms received exactly the same resources randomly assigned to Tools or dBL with teachers at minimal expense. Core EF skills are and the same amounts of teacher training no self-selection into either curriculum.