Blend guided and open-ended play to build executive function in pre-kindergarten¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The program's instructional approach blends guided and open-ended play with hands-on, interactive learning, targeting core cognitive skills linked to long-term academic and social outcomes. Instruction is designed to be ecologically authentic, allowing children to apply learned skills in meaningful, real-world contexts rather than in isolated drills.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Professional development/training for administrators, teachers, and instructional coaches, delivered in-person, virtually, or asynchronously

Constraints¶

Target Learners¶

• pre-kindergarten students

Target Learning Goals¶

• working memory, cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, and application of skills in real-world contexts

Related Strategies¶

• Use ongoing assessments to tailor early-childhood learning experiences

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Fueling Brains. (2024). Fueling Brains. https://evidenceforessa.org/program/fueling-brains/