Low mathematics achievement in the United States has led to the recent advances in the development and evaluation of Tier 2 mathematics interventions designed to close gaps in mathematics that exist at school entry and prevent these gaps from widening. Because Tier 2 mathematics interventions are generally effective for improving mathematics…

This study examines relationships between mathematical problem-solving performance (in terms of strategies used and accuracy) and the main cognitive domains associated with mathematical learning (i.e. executive functions, verbal comprehension and social perception) of children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD and non-ASD resp.). The…

There is evidence that physical activity positively influences cognition and academic outcomes in childhood. This systematic review used a three-level meta-analytic approach, which handles nested effect sizes, to assess the impact of physical activity interventions. Ninety-two randomised control trials in typically developing children (5-12 years…

Active breaks (AB) are short periods of physical activity in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to compare the acute effects of 5-minute dance break with an aerobic and a sedentary group on the executive functions, math performance and enjoyment of elementary school children. A total of 67 children (10.41±.13 years) of three fifth grade…

Early education is replete with debates about "academic" versus "play" approaches. We evaluated 2 interventions, the "Building Blocks" (BB) mathematics curriculum and the BB synthesized with scaffolding of play to promote executive function (BBSEF), compared to a business-as-usual (BAU) control using a 3-armed cluster…

The socioeconomic attainment gap in mathematics starts early and increases over time. This study aimed to examine why this gap exists. Four-year-olds from diverse backgrounds were randomly allocated to a brief intervention designed to improve executive functions (N = 87) or to an active control group (N = 88). The study was preregistered and…

Given the well-documented relation between executive functioning (EF) and math skills in preschool, there is a surprising lack of evidence on early intervention approaches that have successfully, and consistently, impacted both EF and math skills. To confront this gap in the literature, Study 1 explored why an established EF intervention impacted…

Because deficits in executive functions (EFs) characterize most neurodevelopmental disorders, it is appropriate to question the value of EFs for understanding learning disabilities. Two types of studies--those testing whether EFs moderate treatment effects and those testing the direction of effects between EFs and academic skills--are presented to…

The current study was designed to examine the influence of self-affirmation on learners' executive attention and mathematical performance when confronted with stereotype threat. Participants (N = 206) were exposed to self-affirmation and stereotype threat manipulations, completed operation-span and letter memory tasks, and a series of…

Cognitive, numeracy, and motivational factors have been implicated in math achievement. However, few studies have investigated these factors simultaneously and in middle childhood, limiting our understanding of the relative contributions of these factors during an important developmental period. The current study investigated how one numeracy,…

Many school psychologists work in schools that have low proficiency rates on the year-end test of mathematics, which is concerning because math proficiency is a powerful indicator of long-term academic success. Addressing math instructional problems is not easy work. One reason the authors examine is that the work is so challenging for school…

A small but growing cadre of schools and districts across the nation are turning to interventions rooted in brain science to complement or replace core curricula. Such programs target a related set of cognitive processes, known as executive function (EF), that are key to learning. Executive function skills are essential for planning, executing,…

Student self-regulated learning (SRL) is theorized to draw upon cognitive resources such as executive functions (EF) in support of planning, monitoring, and control processes in the service of academic goals. Prior work has demonstrated connections between direct measures of EF and reports of regulation behaviors, but this has not been frequently…

This article systematically reviews what is known empirically about the association between executive function and student achievement in both reading and math and critically assesses the evidence for a causal association between the two. Using meta-analytic techniques, the review finds that there is a moderate unconditional association between…

Background: Little is known about the role of behavioural executive functioning (EF) skills and level of intelligence (IQ) on math abilities in children with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities. Method: Teachers of 63 children attending a school for special education (age: 10 to 13 years; IQ: 50 to 85) filled out a Behaviour Rating…