Effects of a School-Based Mindfulness Program for Young Children
Author: Mark J Sciutto#1, Denise A Veres#2, Tovia L Marinstein1, Brooke F Bailey1, Sarah K Cehelyk1
Affiliation:
1 Department of Psychology, Muhlenberg College, Allentown, PA 18104 USA.
2 Shanthi Project, P.O. Box 91423, Allentown, PA 18109 USA.
Conference/Journal: J Child Fam Stud
Date published: 2021 Apr 15
Other:
Special Notes: doi: 10.1007/s10826-021-01955-x. , Word Count: 180
Schools are an attractive setting for implementation of mindfulness-based programs because mindfulness practices, by their very nature, align with a wide range of core educational goals. The present study investigated the effects of an 8-week (16 session) school-based mindfulness program for young children across 8 classrooms (K through 2) using a quasi-experimental delayed-intervention control group design. Results indicated that the mindfulness program was associated with significant improvements in teacher ratings of externalizing and prosocial behaviors. Program outcomes were not associated with child sex or race/ethnicity, but did vary by grade. Descriptive analyses suggest that outcomes tended to be more positive in classrooms with higher levels of teacher and student engagement. Results of the present study add to the growing knowledge base on the positive effects of school-based mindfulness programs and point to a need for more rigorous inquiry into the extent to which students and teachers are engaged with mindfulness programs both during the program itself and in their day to day functioning.
Keywords: Education; Externalizing behavior; Implementation fidelity; Mindfulness; Prosocial behavior; School-based mindfulness.
PMID: 33875914 PMCID: PMC8046640 DOI: 10.1007/s10826-021-01955-x
BACK
