The Power of Play in Helping Young Children Develop

Self-Regulation/Executive Functions

Deborah Leong, Ph. D..Tools of the Mind

NCLS Fellows Conference September 18, 2017

www.toolsofthemind.org

™

Outlinel Tools of the Mind—An Introl Executive Functions (EFs)

l Why do they matter?l What are they?

l How can we help children develop EFS?l The role of Play—Make-Believe Playl Embedding EFs practice in academic activities:

Playful Learning, Teach planning, Provide practicel Design technology to support EFs practice

l Takeaways

l Began as a faculty project in 1992 with one activity

l Based on the developmental theory of learning and teaching (Vygotskian approach) and research on learning and teaching

l A Pre-K and K program that are developmentally aligned

l Serves about 500,000 primarily at-risk PreK-K children

www.toolsofthemind.org

Closing the Achievement Gap through Modification ofNeurocognitive and Neuroendocrine Function: Resultsfrom a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial of anInnovative Approach to the Education of Children inKindergartenClancy Blair*, C. Cybele Raver

Department of Applied Psychology, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University, New York, New York, United States of

America

Abstract

Effective early education is essential for academic achievement and positive life outcomes, particularly for children inpoverty. Advances in neuroscience suggest that a focus on self-regulation in education can enhance children’s engagementin learning and establish beneficial academic trajectories in the early elementary grades. Here, we experimentally evaluatean innovative approach to the education of children in kindergarten that embeds support for self-regulation, particularlyexecutive functions, into literacy, mathematics, and science learning activities. Results from a cluster randomized controlledtrial involving 29 schools, 79 classrooms, and 759 children indicated positive effects on executive functions, reasoningability, the control of attention, and levels of salivary cortisol and alpha amylase. Results also demonstrated improvementsin reading, vocabulary, and mathematics at the end of kindergarten that increased into the first grade. A number of effectswere specific to high-poverty schools, suggesting that a focus on executive functions and associated aspects of self-regulation in early elementary education holds promise for closing the achievement gap.

Citation: Blair C, Raver CC (2014) Closing the Achievement Gap through Modification of Neurocognitive and Neuroendocrine Function: Results from a ClusterRandomized Controlled Trial of an Innovative Approach to the Education of Children in Kindergarten. PLoS ONE 9(11): e112393. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0112393

Editor: Daniel Ansari, The University of Western Ontario, Canada

Received May 19, 2014; Accepted September 21, 2014; Published November 12, 2014

Copyright: ! 2014 Blair, Raver. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permitsunrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Data Availability: The authors confirm that all data underlying the findings are fully available without restriction. Data are available from the DRYAD DigitalRepository: doi:10.5061/dryad.567pt.

Funding: Support for this research was provided by Institute of Education Sciences grant R305A100058. http://ies.ed.gov/. The funders had no role in studydesign, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

* Email: clancy.blair@nyu.edu

Introduction

The 30th anniversary of the groundbreaking report, A Nation atRisk, serves as a powerful reminder of the persistence and growthof SES-related gaps in achievement [1] and signals the need for arenewed commitment to early learning, particularly for children inpoverty. Recent advances in neuroscience suggest that poverty-related gaps in achievement are accompanied by poverty-relateddifferences in brain structure and function [2–4] and differences inthe regulation of attention, emotion, stress response physiology,and executive functions important for early learning [5,6]. Thesefindings support the hypothesis that SES-related gaps in academicabilities at school entry are in part attributable to effects of povertyon children’s self-regulation development [7–9].To date, decisions about the most effective ways to foster

learning in early childhood have not fully capitalized on advancesin the neuroscience of self-regulation: Few interventions orapproaches have targeted children’s executive functions and self-regulation, despite evidence of the plasticity and malleability ofneural and physiological systems that support self-regulation andearly learning [10–12].

Research has shown that executive functions, defined ascognitive flexibility, working memory, and inhibitory control aremalleable [13,14] and predict academic achievement in childrenover and above IQ and socioeconomic status [15,16]. Althoughexecutive functions are defined by a specific set of cognitive skills,they are one aspect of a larger self-regulation system consisting ofmultiple components arrayed along a continuum from effortful toautomatic [17,18]. As a higher order construct embodying thevolitional, active engagement of attention and emotion for thepurpose of goal-directed action, executive functions can beunderstood to regulate activity in lower level neural systemsassociated with attention, emotion, and physiological responses tostimulation. This top-down influence of executive functions is theirhallmark and is frequently emphasized in theory and research oncognitive control [19–22]. The relation of executive functions tolower level systems, however, is reciprocal. Changes in emotionaland attentional state in response to stimulation are accompaniedby physiological changes as indicated by circulating levels ofcatecholamines, dopamine and norepinephrine, and the steroidhormone cortisol that influence and can at high levels overwhelmneural activity in prefrontal cortex, the seat of executive function

PLOS ONE | www.plosone.org 1 November 2014 | Volume 9 | Issue 11 | e112393

TOOLS OF THE MIND: IMPACTS ON DUAL LANGUAGE LEARNERS

Clancy Blair, M. Paula Daneri, Carol Scheffner-Hammer, & Lisa Lopez

SRCD, 2017

Why Executive Functions Matter

MIND MATTERS Wray Herbert

Is EF the New IQ?Why the ability to resist distraction, a skill scientists call "executive function," may be more important to academic success than traditional measures of intelligence.

Jun 4, 2008 | Updated: 10:27 a.m. ET Jun 4, 2008

EFs = 21st Century Skills EFs = 21st Century Skills

l Higher self-control in early childhood, the higher income age 32,

l Low self-control in early childhood is associated with almost double the likelihood of criminal conviction by age 32

EFs and later success

EFs = Emotion Regulationl Influences peer relationships in short and

long term and long-term mental healthl Influences the kind and quality of learning

interactions in the classroom with teachers and peers

l Influences the child’s ability to handle the “stress of learning”

SPECIAL REPORTEDUCATION

SPECIAL REPORTEDUCATIONEDUCATIONEDUCATION

64 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN MIND September/October 2012

SStress can be toxic at any age. It rattles us when it strikes, shaking up our relationships and narrowing our focus. When it becomes chronic, it ravages our health. Physically, emotionally and intellectually, stress can drag us down.

An even more insidious effect is the assault it can launch on a child’s brain, impeding the development of critical cognitive skills. A number of researchers, including myself, have discovered that psychological stress affects the thinking skills and brain development of even very young children, likely beginning prenatally. It is no mystery that stress thrives in diffi cult situations, but research is now showing that a disad-vantaged upbringing may set back children in profound, lasting ways. In fact, stress may be one important mechanism through which pover-ty adversely affects children’s ability to perform well in school.

Although children differ in their susceptibility to the problems of pov-erty, data show that youngsters from lower-income homes are very likely to start school behind their more affl uent peers. This socioeconomic gap persists throughout the school years and is diffi cult to close. People have long argued that disadvantaged homes tend to offer an impoverished learning environment that does not suffi ciently prepare children for the rigors of school. This theory is, at best, only half of the story. My work suggests that the stresses that accompany low income—such as crowded conditions, noise, fi nancial worries and an inability to provide ade quate child care—directly impair specifi c learning abilities in children.

A stressful childhood may emerge from conditions other than pov-erty, whether from challenging family circumstances such as a divorce

FAST FACTSRelax to Learn

1>> Psychological stress af-fects even very young chil-

dren and can substantially shape the course of their cognitive, social and emotional development.

2>> Stresses that accompany low income directly impair

specifi c learning abilities in chil-dren, potentially setting them back in many domains of life.

3>> Children from more affl u-ent backgrounds can also

encounter stressful situations that weaken their capacity to learn. Re-ducing stress in young people could improve the well-being and cogni-tive performance of large numbers of schoolchildren.

Stress may be silently sabotaging success in school. Its effects are especially potent for children in povertyBy Clancy Blair

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EFs and Toxic Stress

What happens if children don’t develop EFs?

Children are at risk for:l academic problemsl anti-social behaviorl eventual school drop

out

(e.g.,Trembley, et. al., 1999; Vitaroet al, 2006)

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Lack of EFs is a Problem in Today’s Classroom

l Growing levels of aggression and oppositional behavior have been found in day care and Head Start (up to 1/3 of the class).

l 1 child out of every 40 preschool children is expelled from preschool over behavior problems

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(e.g., Kuperschmidt, Bryant, & Willoughby, 2000. Gilliam & Shahar2006)

What the Research Saysl EF deficits are seen in a great

many disorders, includingAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

l The incidence of medicating children for poor inhibitory and attentional skills is increasing exponentially (400% more children were prescribed ADHD medication in 1999 than only 5 years before)

(e.g., Diamond, 2007)

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What are Executive Functions?

Executive Functions

l Related to development of the prefrontal cortex

l A core process that influences both cognition and emotions

l Necessary for self-regulated behaviors

“Traffic Controller”Executive Functions act as the “traffic controller” of the mind. It directs the mind’s action in an intentional way.

Without EFs, you just react to situations or act according to habit.

Components of Executive Function

l Inhibitory or Effortful ControllWorking MemorylCognitive Flexibility

e.g., Miyake, et. al, 2000; Lehto et. al. 2003; Hunzinga, et. al 2006; Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, 2011

Inhibitory Control ht

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Inhibitory, Effortful, Self-Control

l Controlling anxiety when you make mistakesl Controlling your temper when you don’t get your

way or what you wantl Being able to stop and think before you actl Stopping yourself from using the first strategy that

comes to mind in favor of a second

e.g., Blair, Zelazo, & Greenberg, 2005; Jones, Rothbart & Posner, 2003

Bialystok & Martin, 2002

Dog DogChildren read “Cat”

Working MemoryAbility to hold information

“in mind”

Examples of Working Memoryl Thinking about information and

being able to work with it at the same time

l Holding two different strategies in mind and deciding on the most applicable.

l Being able to reflect on one’s thinking

l Thinking about more than one perspective at the same time.

e.g., Baddeley, 1992; Roberts & Pennington, 1996; Zelazo, et al. 2003

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The Hunters

The boys’ arrows were nearly gone so they sat down on the grass and stopped hunting. Over at the edge of the woods, they saw Henry making a bow to a small girl who was coming down the road. She had tears in her dress and tears in her eyes. Does were standing at the edge of the lake, making an excellent target.

Cognitive FlexibilityChange and adjust mental effort

Examples of Cognitive Flexibilityl Flexibly changing tasks and moving back and

forth between elements of a task.l Paying more attention when a task or

situation is more difficult. Investing more mental effort in tasks that are difficult.

Name the colors as quickly as you can.DO NOT read the words SAY THE NAME OF THE COLOR ht

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Executive Function skills are necessary when you need to be intentional, to learn something new—on-purpose—when you are not functioning on

autopilot

How are your Executive Functions?

©Tools of the Mind 2012

The Development & Neural Bases of Cognitive Flexibility and

Executive Function

Adele DiamondCanada Research Chair Professor of Dev. Cog. Neurosci.

Department of PsychiatryUniversity of British Columbia, Vancouver

BC Children’s Hospital, VancouverBritish Columbia, Canada

adele.diamond@ubc.ca

Hearts - Congruent

Push Left

Push Right Push Left

Push Right

Flowers -Incongruent

Developmental trajectory of EF

Age

ExecutiveFunctio

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0 5 15 20 25 30Age

Carlson, 2012

Growth Spurts3-7 years of age15-25 years of age

How can we help children develop

Executive Functions?Lessons from Tools of the Mind

l Cluster randomized controlled trial at the School level

l 12 districts, 29 schools, 79 classrooms, 725 children

l Schools ranged from 3% to 92% free/reduced lunch eligible

l Fall and Spring of K, follow-up in Fall of first grade

Blair & Raver, 2014

Evidence of Efficacy

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Kindergarten end of the year results• Children in Tools were significantly higher on

mathematics and literacyEnd of First Grade results• No summer loss• Sustained and growing effects on reading and

vocabulary

Cortisol Results

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Control Tools

Cortisol levels of children in at-risk classrooms were similar to those of children in middle class classrooms—showing an effect of mitigating “Toxic Stress” and boosting the physiology of “engagement”

www.developingchild.harvard.edu

Translational Science

How can we help children develop

Executive Functions?Use Intentional Make-Believe Play

and Dramatization

“TheSchoolforSelf-Regulation”wherechildrenpracticeexecutivefunctions

Make-BelievePlay

Evidence that Make-Believe Play Increases Self-RegulationChildren were asked to

stand still in 3 conditions:l Experimenter asked the

child to stand stilll Child was pretending to

play the role of solider l Child was playing with

peers and had the role of soldier

3 yrs 5 yrs 7 yrs

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utes

Age Manuilenko, 1948

Role w/ Peers

Role only

Non-play

Changes in the today’s culture of childhood mean less play at home—children come to school with less executive functions practice

– Roleswithrulesand“rolespeech”

– Childrenvoluntarilyself-regulate

– Scenariochangesandisplannedinadvance

– Symbolicprops– Deepengagement

MatureMake-BelievePlay

NOT this kind of play

Dramatization Kindergarten

Play Has Benefits Beyond Executive Function

l Link background knowledge to the story

l Recall complicated information

l Predict what happens nextl Visualizel Explore plot and characterl Exploration of emotionsl Practice vocabulary

How can we help children develop

Executive Functions?Embed Executive Functions Practice

in Academic Activities

Playful LearningTeach Children How to Plan

Provide practice regulating learning

Playful LearningLearning Games w/ Embedded EFs

One child has a ”hand” and counts out the number of objects. The other child holds a picture of a “check” and checks the number of objects the first child counts out. The “checker” says “You have the right number!”

Executive Functions practice embedded in writingScaffolded Writing:l Plan sentence in advancel Draw a line for each wordl Write letters to stand for

the wordl Reread

Lines help children to write with minimal adult support

Wooly Mammoths died in the warm weather. Paleontologists find Wooly Mammoth bones

Gains Kindergarten

Planning Play Preschool

Planning Learning in Kindergarten

Peer-Regulated Learning

How can we help children develop

Executive Functions?Design technology to support

executive functions practice AND learning

Written by Angela Robinson and Barb Wilder-Smith

Colors in the Rain Forest

Level:

The child chooses her reading level and a book to read in that level. The content of the book regardless of the reading level is the same. The mini lesson and actual words in the text are set at an optimal decoding challenge for that child. This promotes equity in cooperative work as all children read the same content regardless of their reading ability

Kindergarten PowerTools App

l Merges science and literacy instruction to support the development of scientific understandings AND build comprehension, vocabulary, decoding, and writing skills young children.

l Embeds Executive Functions practice in reading and science

l Increases the time spent, level of motivation, and effectiveness of decoding practice for beginning readers.

l Increases playful, focused learning and meaningful decoding practice. Decreases the over use of drill (& kill) and the use of ability grouping

l Scaffolds child reading errors, allowing the learner to control support

l Uses embedded, continuous, adaptive, personalized child assessment system to help teachers better sequence and improve instruction

l Enables parents regardless of reading skills to participate in the literacy instruction of their children that is aligned with what happens at school

l Based on research on learning, motivation, memory/attention, optimal feedback, and the neuroscience of reading/writing, etc.

Kindergarten PowerTools App

Take Aways

Executive Functions matter!l Early childhood is a

critical period for interventions to increase self-regulation

l Self-regulation is LEARNED!!!

l Executive functions can be changed through classroom practices

l Teacher pre-service and in-service training should include development of and how to support executive functions

l Provide information to parents about how to develop executive functions

EFs develop in the classroom and at home

Classroom activities should simultaneously support EFs and learning

Make-believe play can help children develop the executive functions that contribute to achievement in school and in life

If you’re interested in reading more you can visit our website or read about Tools of the Mind

www.toolsofthemind.org