Testing Whether a Short Training Program Designed to Improve Cognitive Skills Improves 4-year-olds' Maths Skills

NCT03063411 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 146958
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 175
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study will test whether a short training program - designed to improve memory and attention skills - will benefit mathematical reasoning in preschoolers from a range of socio-economic backgrounds. The investigators will test how long any benefits last for and whether any intervention effects are greater for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The aim is to test interventions that aim to close the achievement gap by improving skills known to underpin academic skills, at an age children may benefit most from training.

Conditions

Cognitive Development

Keywords

Maths reasoning; Working memory; Executive Functions; Cognitive Control; Academic Skills; Randomised Control Trial

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in mathematical reasoning scores as measured by the WIAT-II mathematical reasoning sub-test.

  The investigators will use the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-II to measure this (WIAT-II; Wechsler, 2005).

  Baseline = one week before the intervention; post-test = one week post-intervention, three months post-intervention.

Secondary Outcomes (6)

• Long-term change in mathematical reasoning as measured by the WIAT-II mathematical reasoning sub-test.

  One year post-training from baseline

• Change in verbal working memory as measured by the Backward Word Span task.

  One week post-intervention from baseline, three months post-intervention from baseline and 1 year post-intervention from baseline.

• Change in visuo-spatial working memory as measured by the Corsi Block task.

  One week post-intervention from baseline, three months post-intervention from baseline and 1 year post-intervention from baseline.

• Change in in inhibitory control as measured by the Grass/Snow task.

  One week post-intervention from baseline, three months post-intervention from baseline and 1 year post-intervention from baseline.

• Change in in inhibitory control as measured by the Peg Tapping task.

  One week post-intervention from baseline, three months post-intervention from baseline and 1 year post-intervention from baseline.

Study Arms (2)

Executive function intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

The intervention comprises four weekly sessions lasting 15-20 minutes. In these sessions, children complete computerised tasks requiring working memory and inhibitory control. These tasks are child friendly and are based on established measures of executive function. The working memory tasks involve maintaining information in mind and processing information (for example, finding items hiding in different locations that move around) and suppressing a dominant but incorrect response (for example, a game where children try to catch fish but not sharks). Children receive feedback on their responses. If children score 75% or more correct in a session the difficulty level increases in the following session.

Other: Executive Function Intervention

Visual search and simple decision making

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

The control task program, like the intervention, comprises four weekly sessions lasting 15-20 minutes. In these sessions, children complete computerised tasks not requiring executive function skills. Instead, they require simple attention and decision making skills and visual search skills. For example, finding an item among distractors (e.g., a spaceship), or deciding which of two animals can fly (out of a bird and a fish). Children receive feedback on their responses.

Other: Active Control Group

Interventions

Executive Function Intervention OTHER

In the executive function training group, children will complete computerised tasks requiring working memory and inhibitory control over four weekly sessions lasting 15-20 minutes. The aim is to improve their executive function skills. In the active control group, children will complete computerised tasks requiring simple decision making and visual search skills over four weekly sessions lasting 15-20 minutes.

Executive function intervention

Active Control Group OTHER

This is the active control condition. Children will complete computerised tasks requiring simple decision making and visual search skills over four weekly sessions lasting 15-20 minutes.

Visual search and simple decision making

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 3 Years - 5 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Must be attending a nursery school attached to a primary school.
• Must speak and understand English (class teachers will advise on this).
• Must have at least one measure of working memory completed at baseline and one measure of inhibitory control completed at baseline.

You may not qualify if:

• Must not have a significant diagnosed or known physical, mental or learning disability.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Sheffield: lead
• University of Nottingham: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

The University of Sheffield

Sheffield, United Kingdom

Location

Related Links

• Our Funder: The Nuffield Foundation

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: QUADRUPLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, CARE PROVIDER, INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Dr

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 10, 2017
• First Posted: February 24, 2017
• Study Start: February 1, 2017
• Primary Completion: July 14, 2017
• Study Completion: July 31, 2018
• Last Updated: November 6, 2018

Record last verified: 2018-11

Locations

GB (1)