Effects of a School-Based Mindfulness Program for Young Children

Effects of a School-Based Mindfulness Program for Young Children

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 c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of child and family studies Vol. 30; no. 6; pp. 1516 - 1527
Main Authors: Sciutto, Mark J., Veres, Denise A., Marinstein, Tovia L., Bailey, Brooke F., Cehelyk, Sarah K.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: New York Springer US 01-06-2021
Springer
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects:
Behavioral Science and Psychology
Child and School Psychology
Children
Children & youth
Classrooms
Control Groups
Delayed
Educational Objectives
Ethnicity
Externalizing behaviour
Knowledge base
Learner Engagement
Mindfulness
Mindfulness meditation
Original Paper
Prosocial behavior
Psychology
Quasi-experimental methods
Race
Social Sciences
Sociology
Student participation
Teachers
Teachers, Rating of
School-based mindfulness
Mindfulness
Externalizing behavior
Education
Implementation fidelity
Prosocial behavior
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Summary: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. Highlights Teacher ratings of prosocial behavior and externalizing behavior improved after a 16-session mindfulness program. Program outcomes differed by grade but not across child sex and race/ethnicity. Teacher and student engagement in the mindfulness program was associated with more positive outcomes.
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ISSN:1062-1024
1573-2843
DOI:10.1007/s10826-021-01955-x