Evidence for integrated EF–mathematics interventions is growing but mixed¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · review r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2023 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Some integrated interventions improved EF and numeracy, but a proof-of-principle study found integrated training improved mathematics no more than numeracy-only training. → Scerif 2023

Evidence¶

Scerif 2023¶

Scerif, G., Blakey, E., Gattas, S., Hawes, Z., Howard, S., Merkley, R., O'Connor, R., & Simms, V. (2023). Making the Executive 'Function' for the Foundations of Mathematics: the Need for Explicit Theories of Change for Early Interventions. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-023-09824-3

q2 · i? · review · r2

The review reports, citing Prager et al. (2023), a small-scale proof-of-principle study contrasting EF-only, numeracy-only, and integrated conditions; integrated training "improved mathematics, but not to a significantly greater degree than the numeracy condition only".

"Training in EF alone improved EF, but not general mathematics skills, whereas integrated EF and mathematics training improved mathematics, but not to a significantly greater degree than the numeracy condition only."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Isolated EF interventions show robust near-term EF gains but poor transfer, including to early mathematics — related
• Preschool executive functions robustly predict mathematical skills during preschool and later in development — related
• Bidirectional EF–mathematics relationships are reported but the longitudinal evidence is mixed and method-dependent — related