Enhancing children's numeracy and executive functions via their explicit integration

Gaia Scerif; Jelena Sučević; Hannah Andrews; Emma Blakey; Sylvia U. Gattas; Amy Godfrey; Zachary Hawes; Steven J. Howard; Liberty Kent; Rebecca Merkley; Rosemary O’Connor; Fionnuala O’Reilly; Victoria Simms

doi:10.1038/s41539-025-00302-9

Enhancing children's numeracy and executive functions via their explicit integration

Gaia Scerif
, Jelena Sučević
, Hannah Andrews
, Emma Blakey
, Sylvia U. Gattas
, Amy Godfrey
, Zachary Hawes
, Steven J. Howard
, Liberty Kent
, Rebecca Merkley
, Rosemary O’Connor
, Fionnuala O’Reilly
, Victoria Simms

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

12 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Executive functions (EF) are crucial to regulating learning and are predictors of emerging mathematics. However, interventions that leverage EF to improve mathematics remain poorly understood. 193 four-year-olds (mean age = 3 years; 11 months pre-intervention; 111 female, 69% White) were assessed 5 months apart, with 103 children randomised to an integrated EF and mathematics intervention. Our pre-registered hypotheses proposed that the intervention would improve mathematics more than practice as usual. Multi-level modelling and network analyses were applied to the data. The intervention group improved more than the control group in overall numeracy, even when controlling for differences across settings in EF and mathematics-enhancing practices. EF and mathematics measures showed greater interconnectedness post-intervention. In addition, disadvantaged children in the intervention group made greater gains than in the control group. Our findings emphasise the need to consider EFs in their integration with co-developing functions, and in their educational and socio-economic context.

Original language	English
Article number	8
Pages (from-to)	1-16
Number of pages	16
Journal	npj Science of Learning
Volume	10
Issue number	1
Early online date	18 Feb 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-025-00302-9
Publication status	Published (in print/issue) - 18 Feb 2025

Bibliographical note

Data Access Statement

The data and the analytic code necessary to reproduce the analyses presented here are available on Open Science Framework [link]. A full description of the baseline and endline assessment materials is also available on Open Science Framework [link]. The intervention efficacy analyses were preregistered on Open Science Framework before data collection began [link].

Funding

A Project Grant by the Nuffield Foundation (to Gaia Scerif, Zachary Hawes, Steven Howard, and Rebecca Merkley, \u201CFostering resilience by injecting executive challenge into early mathematics\u201D, FR-000022619) supported this study. We are very grateful to all remaining Advisory Board members for the Project Grant, and for their intellectual contributions during advisory board meetings and beyond: in alphabetical order, Jennie Challender, Aleisha Clarke, Keely Cook, Katy Jeary, Ruth Maisey, Gill Mason, Joanne Mason, Edward Melhuish, Kathy Sylva, and Ellen Wright. We are also heavily indebted to Angelina Bogdanova, Abigail Heath, and Francesca Plaskett for contributing to post-intervention data collection and data curation. Finally, none of this work could have been achieved without the huge support and effort of children, early years educators and parents in our volunteering settings.

Funders	Funder number
???publication-publication-funding-organisation-not-added???	ES/X013561/1
Nuffield Foundation	FR-000022619

Keywords

executive functions
early numeracy
integrated interventions
network analyses

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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Cite this

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title = "Enhancing children's numeracy and executive functions via their explicit integration",

abstract = "Executive functions (EF) are crucial to regulating learning and are predictors of emerging mathematics. However, interventions that leverage EF to improve mathematics remain poorly understood. 193 four-year-olds (mean age = 3 years; 11 months pre-intervention; 111 female, 69\% White) were assessed 5 months apart, with 103 children randomised to an integrated EF and mathematics intervention. Our pre-registered hypotheses proposed that the intervention would improve mathematics more than practice as usual. Multi-level modelling and network analyses were applied to the data. The intervention group improved more than the control group in overall numeracy, even when controlling for differences across settings in EF and mathematics-enhancing practices. EF and mathematics measures showed greater interconnectedness post-intervention. In addition, disadvantaged children in the intervention group made greater gains than in the control group. Our findings emphasise the need to consider EFs in their integration with co-developing functions, and in their educational and socio-economic context.",

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AU - Godfrey, Amy

AU - Hawes, Zachary

AU - Howard, Steven J.

AU - Kent, Liberty

AU - Merkley, Rebecca

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Enhancing children's numeracy and executive functions via their explicit integration

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Data Access Statement

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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Cite this