Embed adaptive, intentional EF challenge within age-appropriate mathematics activities rather than reducing EF demands¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 1 claim (1 for) · 1 study (1 review), q1 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 1 claim rests on one study

Description¶

The review recommends that educators set age-appropriate mathematics content and then "work to stretch EF demands adaptively and intentionally, not reduce them", building deeper expertise via EF challenge and then scaling mathematics challenge in turn. Programmes should identify struggling learners and flexibly track down to an appropriate level of mathematics content, EF challenge, or both, before stretching again. Practical modifications include time-limited estimation and mixed-colour dot arrays.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Knowledge of where each child is mathematically; flexible identification of struggling learners so challenge can be tracked down before being stretched again

Constraints¶

• The review states this applies to beginning learners laying foundations; reducing EF load may remain important for children who already struggle, and materials must be calibrated to avoid catastrophic failure or misunderstanding

Target Learners¶

• Preschool and early primary children

Target Learning Goals¶

• Deep processing of mathematical concepts; transfer of EF gains to mathematics

Affordances¶

• Ef Math Mechanism Taxonomy

Claims¶

• Reducing EF demands benefits struggling learners, whereas calibrated EF challenge is hypothesised to benefit beginning learners [+W]

Related Strategies¶

• Guard against lowered educator expectations producing a vicious circle of reduced EF challenge for disadvantaged pupils
• Use stealth-assessed persistence to deliver adaptive challenges at appropriate difficulty

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• 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