Skip to main content
. 2021 Oct 1;12:655246. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.655246
Full sample Intervention group Control group Stand. mean dif.
N Un adjusted mean Pooled SD N Mean Adj. mean SD N Mean Adj. mean SD
Direct assessments of children’s EF and related self-regulation skills
Pre-K and kindergarten
Inhibitory control (Pencil Tap) 47 0.82 0.23 28 0.78 0.75 0.27 19 0.87 0.83 0.15 0.32
Grades 1–4
Global EF (Trail Making Task) 172 2.74 0.59 90 2.70 2.28 0.63 82 2.79 2.32 0.54 0.05
Short term memory (Forward Digit Span) 174 4.51 1.01 90 4.50 3.94 0.96 84 4.53 4.06 1.08 0.12
Working memory (Backward Digit Span) 174 3.93 1.10 90 3.93 3.21 0.91 84 3.93 3.35 1.28 0.12
All students
Global EF (Dimensional Change Card Sort) 234 2.22 0.71 127 2.21 1.87 0.72 107 2.22 1.83 0.69 0.06
Attention/Impulsivity (Assessor Report) 233 2.60 0.44 126 2.55 2.33 0.47 107 2.66 2.43 0.40 0.23
Teacher survey of classroom behavior
Regulation-related skills (CEFS) 410 2.81 0.85 250 2.80 2.64 0.82 160 2.83 2.70 0.91 0.06
Prosocial behavior (TOCA) 410 4.31 0.68 250 4.34 4.45 0.70 160 4.26 4.37 0.65 0.13
Teacher–student relationship (TSRS) 410 3.35 0.78 250 3.37 3.25 0.80 160 3.30 3.22 0.74 0.04
Discipline events 428 0.07 0.23 250 0.09 0.11 0.24 178 0.05 0.08 0.20 0.17
Demographic characteristics
Gender (female=1) 428 0.50 0.50 250 0.51 0.53 0.50 178 0.48 0.50 0.50 0.08
SPED 428 0.11 0.31 250 0.10 0.08 0.30 178 0.12 0.11 0.32 0.09
ELL status 428 0.41 0.49 250 0.42 0.37 0.49 178 0.40 0.41 0.49 0.17

F-test for overall balance on the pre-K and K measure of inhibitory control (Pencil Tap) revealed no statistically significant difference between students assigned to intervention vs. control groups (F (3, 7)=1.49, p=0.2974). F-test for overall balance on direct assessments in Grades 1–4 revealed no statistically significant difference between groups assigned to intervention vs. control groups (F (5, 14)=0.28, p=0.9162). F-test for overall balance on direct assessments used in all grades revealed no statistically significant difference between students assigned to intervention vs. control groups (F (7, 26)=0.79, p=0.6011). F-test for overall balance on initial balance in the teacher survey of classroom behavior revealed no statistically significant difference between groups assigned to intervention vs. control groups (F (9, 25)=0.83, p=0.5933). F-tests included school fixed effects and clustered standard errors at the classroom level.