The Effect of Family-based Intervention on Young Children's Executive Function

Abstract

This study aimed to conduct a systematic literature review to summarize the evidence from strengths-focused, family-based executive function (EF) interventions for children under the age of six in the U.S. This review was part of a larger study funded by the National Science Foundation, “Diálogos: Harnessing Latinx Community Cultural Wealth to Support Executive Function in Early Childhood through Family Engineering Experiences.” The primary research question was: What research exists in the last 10 years focused on the development of EF skills in preschool children at home in the United States? Priority was given to articles focused on strengths-based or culturally-responsive approaches for Latinx families.

Full text

The Effect of Family-based Intervention on Young Children’s Executive Function
Ahmad Ahmadi1, Shauna Tominey1, Smirla Ramos Montañez2,Scott Pattison2, & María Quijano3
1Oregon State University, 2TERC, 3Metropolitan Family Services; United States
College of Public Health and Human Sciences
INTRODUCTION
•Executive function (EF) skills enable individuals to hold and manipulate
information in memory, flexibly switch between tasks, and suppress impulsive
actions to reach goals and solve problems (Diamond, 2013). Strong EF helps
children adjust to classroom environments (McClelland et al., 2007) and thrive
in school (Spiegel et al., 2021). EF is also related to an array of other
developmental outcomes, including physical, behavioral, and mental well-being
in childhood and beyond (Moffitt et al., 2011; Robson et al., 2020).
•Children’s EF skills develop rapidly in early childhood and are sensitive to
contextual factors such as parenting, home environment and parent/caregiver-
child interactions. Numerous interventions have effectively improved EF skills
among young children (Diamond & Ling, 2016; Takacs & Kassai, 2019);
however, there is a paucity of family-based EF interventions, particularly for
Latinx families.
•With research highlighting disparities in EF skills between Latinx children and
their peers (e.g., Li-Grining, 2022), it is important to explore how Latinx families
conceptualize EF and how these skills are being promoted at home in
culturally-specific ways.
RESEARCH QUESTION
• This study aimed to conduct a systematic literature review to summarize the
evidence from strengths-focused, family-based EF interventions for children
under the age of six in the U.S. This review was part of a larger study funded
by the National Science Foundation, “Diálogos: Harnessing Latinx Community
Cultural Wealth to Support Executive Function in Early Childhood through
Family Engineering Experiences.”
• The primary research question was: What research exists in the last 10 years
focused on the development of EF skills in preschool children at home in the
United States? Priority was given to articles focused on strengths-based or
culturally-responsive/-specific approaches for Latinx families.
IMPLICATIONS & CONCLUSIONS
• The papers included in this review suggest that family-based interventions can
improve EF in young children. However, effect sizes on EF were small. These
findings align with results of other systematic reviews supporting EF
improvement and its malleability among children (Diamond & Lee, 2011; Kassai
et al., 2019).
• In the larger project (Diálogos) where dialogic approaches are being used to
engage with Latinx families, families have shared multiple examples of the
ways they are supporting the development of EF in their children through
activities and interactions (including culturally-specific approaches). These
stories and examples suggest the need to expand research and intervention
programs to adopt culturally responsive, equity-focused, and strength-based
approaches.
• Questions for future exploration include:1) How well do current definitions of EF
align with Latinx family values and contexts? 2) How do Latinx families
conceptualize EF? And 3) How do Latinx families promote EF through activities
and interactions from a cultural wealth perspective?
REFERENCES
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No.
2115463. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are
those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation..
•Provided upon request.
METHODS & PROCEDURES
• Studies were rated based on: (1) randomization procedures, (2) baseline equivalence
among groups, and (3) sample attrition (What Works Clearinghouse, 2020).
• Hedges’ geffect size was used to estimate intervention-comparison mean difference in
SD units. Nine studies reported the data required to calculate Hedges’ geffect sizes.
• The overall effect of family-based intervention on children’s EF skills was
small (g = 0.12, 95% CI −0.001 to 0.23). Across studies (n= 11), there were
2,496 children ranged from 2 to 6 years of age (Mean age = 48.60 months, SD
= 12.80 months).
• Two studies (Lind et al. 2017, Merz et al. 2016) examined the effect of family-
based EF intervention on EF skills, such as attention, with an overall small
effect size (Hedges’ g=0.24, 95% CI −2.12 to 2.59).
•Family-based interventions fell into two general categories:
1) Home Enrichment and Effective Teaching Strategies (n = 6):
• Parents provided with developmentally-appropriate activities directly
focused on children’s EF skills to practice and develop skills at home.
2) Effective Parenting and Parent-child Relationships (n= 5):
§Interventions focused on positive parenting practices (e.g., sensitive
parenting, scaffolding, parental mindfulness, quality of parent-child
interaction, consistency of daily routines, behavioral management.), thus
indirectly targeting EF skills.
Inclusion criteria
Written in English and published in a
peer-reviewed journal between 2012
and 2022
Quantitative studies with at least one
EF skill as an outcome
Inclusion of parents or home context;
young children, typically-developing
children (under 6) in the U.S., non-
clinical parent samples
Electronic Database Search
EBSCO
Psych Info
JSTOR
Google Scholar
Search Terms
(Executive function* OR inhibit* OR
effortful control OR shifting OR
switching OR cognitive flexibility OR
updating OR working memory OR
self-regulat* OR emotional regulat*
OR behavioral regulat* OR self-
control* OR emotional control AND
(family* OR parent* OR matern*
OR father OR mother) AND
(preschool* OR early childhood OR
kindergarten* OR early childcare
OR daycare OR early childhood
education OR young children) AND
(Train* OR intervention OR
program OR treat* OR curriculum)
Identified papers: (N= 825)
Screened papers by title for inclusion:
(n= 699)
Screened papers by abstract review:
Excluded on initial review (n= 31)
Noninterventional studies (n= 35)
Review/meta-analysis paper (n= 14)
Chapters/dissertations (n= 3)
From other countries (n= 14)
Clinical samples (n= 15)
Older children (n= 3)
Included papers at full text review
(n= 11)
RESULTS
Figure 2: Forest plot demonstrating the efficacy of interventions on children’s EF
Figure 1. Search strategy and inclusion criteria.
© TERC 2023
© TERC 2023
Inclusion criteria
Written in English and published in a
peer-reviewed journal between 2012
and 2022
Quantitative studies with at least one EF
skill as an outcome
Inclusion of parents or home context;
inclusive sample of children (under age
6), not focused on specific
developmental or cognitive disabilities,
in the U.S., non-clinical parent samples