Executive functions, such as attention, inhibition, working memory, and planning, are important for early learning and school readiness in preschool children. This completed randomized controlled trial evaluated whether an 8-week cognitively enriched playful physical activity program could support executive functions and school readiness in preschool children compared with the regular physical education curriculum. Preschool children were assigned to either a playful physical activity intervention group or a control group receiving conventional physical education. The intervention included structured movement-based games designed to combine physical activity with cognitive challenges, including response inhibition, working memory, planning, rule following, and cooperative problem solving. Outcomes included measures of executive functions and school readiness domains, including mathematical, linguistic, and social competence.
This study was designed as a completed, two-arm randomized controlled trial conducted in preschool children. The purpose of the study was to examine whether a cognitively enriched playful physical activity program could improve executive functions and school readiness compared with the regular physical education curriculum. The experimental intervention consisted of an 8-week Playful Physical Activities program. The program included structured movement games designed to engage both motor and cognitive processes. Activities targeted gross and fine motor skills while incorporating executive-function demands such as selective attention, inhibitory control, working memory, planning, rule maintenance, and cooperative problem solving. Sessions included playful tasks related to language, mathematics, and social interaction, with the aim of supporting both cognitive development and school readiness in an age-appropriate educational setting. Children in the control group continued to receive the conventional physical education curriculum over the same intervention period. The control condition involved regular age-appropriate physical education activities without the systematic integration of structured executive-function challenges or cognitive-motor dual-task components. Participants were preschool children aged approximately 55 to 64 months. Eligible children were enrolled in participating preschool settings and were able to take part in physical activity sessions. Children with motor or mental disorders that could interfere with participation or outcome assessment were excluded. The primary focus of the study was school readiness, including mathematical, linguistic, and social competence. Secondary outcomes included executive-function measures related to attention, inhibition, visuospatial memory, and planning/visuospatial organization. Assessments were conducted before and after the intervention period. The study was conducted in accordance with ethical approval from the Local Research Ethics Committee at the High Institute of Sports and Physical Education of Ksar Said. The study has been completed.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
48
The 8-week Playful Physical Activities intervention consisted of structured movement-based games integrating executive function challenges, including response inhibition, working memory, attention, planning, and cooperative problem-solving. Sessions were delivered three times per week for 60 minutes per session.
The control intervention consisted of the regular physical education curriculum delivered for 8 weeks, three times per week for 60 minutes per session. Sessions included traditional age-appropriate physical education activities without systematically embedded cognitive-motor executive function challenges.
Physical Activity, Sport and Health Research Unit UR18JS01, National Observatory of Sport
Tunis, Tunisia
Change in School Readiness Scores From Baseline to Post-intervention
School readiness was assessed using mathematical competence, linguistic competence, and social competence scores. Higher scores indicated better school readiness.
Time frame: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
Change in Go/No-Go Task Error Rate From Baseline to Post-intervention
Inhibitory control was assessed using the Go/No-Go task. The outcome was the number of commission errors, with lower scores indicating better inhibitory control.
Time frame: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
Change in Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised Immediate Recall Score From Baseline to Post-intervention
Visuospatial memory was assessed using the BVMT-R immediate recall raw score. Higher scores indicated better visuospatial memory performance.
Time frame: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
Change in Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised Delayed Recall Score From Baseline to Post-intervention
Delayed visuospatial recall was assessed using the BVMT-R delayed recall raw score. Higher scores indicated better delayed recall performance.
Time frame: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
Change in Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test Copy Score From Baseline to Post-intervention
Visuospatial organization and planning were assessed using the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test copy score. Higher scores indicated better visuospatial planning and organization.
Time frame: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
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