NIH Study: Preschool Children Can Benefit from "Innovative Curriculum"

Findings Have Significant Implications for Children at Risk for ADHD and Difficulties with Social Functioning

A new study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) indicates that preschool children in low-income, urban classrooms can benefit from curriculum changes aimed at improving their cognitive skills. These findings have significant implications for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and social adjustment problems. The curriculum changes do not require special education teachers or expensive technology and can be implemented by any teacher.

"Executive functions," also called cognitive control skills, are crucial to a child's ability to succeed both scholastically and socially. These skills include retaining information, not allowing distractions to interfere with functioning, and adapting to change. Researchers have found connections between poor executive function skills and difficulties like ADHD, poor school performance, drug use, and criminal behavior. While some children are biologically predisposed to disorders such as ADHD, cognitive skills training can help.

"Helping at-risk children improve [executive function] skills early might be critical to closing the achievement gap and reducing societal inequalities," said Dr. Adele Diamond of the University of British Columbia. Diamond led the research team.

For this study, funded by NIH's National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the Human Early Learning Partnership, researchers compared a previously developed curriculum called Tools of the Mind with a standard preschool curriculum. Tools of the Mind consists of 40 core activities which involve techniques for improving abilities such as paying attention and retaining information, as well as social pretend play.