Effects of play on children’s cognition and school performance

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12820/rbafs.28e0315

Keywords:

Physical activity, Play, Infancy, Cognition, School performance

Abstract

This article investigates the effects of a 12-week program involving play on the cognition and school performance of children. This was a quasi-experiment study, involving groups of fourth-grade elementary school children, aged between 8 and 11 years. The “Intervention Group (n = 27)” participated in Play activities, while the “Control Group (n = 24)” did not. Both groups were submitted to assessments encompassing demographic data, visual attention (TAVIS-4), cognitive flexibility (Trails Test), as well as arithmetic, reading and language skills (School Performance Test), before and after the intervention. The structured intervention program based on play occurred three times a week, with each session lasting 50 minutes, over a span of 12 weeks. Some examples of games conducted during the intervention included “chess dodgeball”, “tag” and “owner of the street”. Concerning the statistical analysis, a two-way ANOVA was applied to examine differences between the groups before and after the intervention program. The play activities resulted in a decrease in omission errors in the selective attention test. There was also a reduction in the time spent on Task “B” of the Trails Test, in addition to an increase in the total score of the School Performance Test. In conclusion, it can be stated that an intervention program involving play generated positive effects on the cognition and school performance of these children. 

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Piaget J, Cook M. The origins of intelligence in children. New York: International Universities Press. 1952;8(5):18. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/11494-000

Oberer N, Gashaj V, Roebers CM. Executive functions, visual-motor coordination, physical fitness and academic achievement: Longitudinal relations in typically developing children. Hum Mov Sci. 2018;58:69-79. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.humov.2018.01.003

Cadoret G, Bigras N, Duval S, Lemay L, Tremblay T, Lemire J. The mediating role of cognitive ability on the relationship between motor proficiency and early academic achievement in children. Hum Mov Sci. 2018;57:149-57. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.humov.2017.12.002

Campos JJ, Anderson DI, Barbu-Roth MA, Hubbard EM, Hertenstein MJ, Witherington D. Travel broadens the mind. Infancy. 2000;1(2):149-219. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327078IN0102_1

Rule AC, Smith LL. Fine Motor Skills, Executive Function, and Academic Achievement. In: Physical Activity and Health Promotion in the Early Years. Springer, Cham. 2018;14:19-40. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-76006-3_2

Schmahmann JD. The cerebellum and cognition. Neuroscience letters 2018;688:62-75. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2018.07.005

Doherty A, Forés MA. Physical activity and cognition: Inseparable in the classroom. Front educ. 2019 (4):105. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2019.00105

Song W, Feng L, Wang J, Ma F, Chen J, Qu S, Luo D. Play Smart, Be Smart? Effect of Cognitively Engaging Physical Activity Interventions on Executive Function among Children 4~ 12 Years Old: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Brain sciences. 2022;12(6):762. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12060762

BRASIL. Base nacional curricular comum –BNCC. Ministério da Educação, 2017.

Lämmle C, Kobel S, Wartha O, Wirt T, Steinacker JM. Intervention effects of a school-based health promotion program on children’s motor skills. J Public Health (Oxf). 2016;24(3):185-192. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-016-0715-x

Van der fels IMJ, teWierike SC, Hartman E, Elferink-Gemser MT, Smith J, Visscher C. The relationship between motor skills and cognitive skills in 4–16 year old typically developing children: A systematic review. J Sci Med Sport. 2015;18(6):697-703. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2014.09.007

Cordazzo STD, Vieira, ML. A brincadeira e suas implicações nos processos de aprendizagem e de desenvolvimento. Estud. pesqui. psicol. 2007;7(1):89-101.

Tanner JM. Growth and maturation during adolescence. Nutr. Rev. 1981;39(2):43-55. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-4887.1981.tb06734.x

Gaya A, Lemos A, Gaya A, Teixeira D, Pinheiro E, Moreira R. Manual de testes e avaliação - PROESP-Br, 2012.

Mattos P, Coutinho G. Teste de atenção visual (Tavis-3). In: Malloy-Diniz LF, Fuentes D, Mattos P, Abreu N (orgs.). Avaliação neuropsicológica. Porto Alegre: Artmed, 2010.

Bauman JWL, Maricle DE, Miller DC, Allen DN, Mayfield J. Utilization of the comprehensive trail making test as a measure of executive functioning in children and adolescents with traumatic brain injuries. Arch Clin Neuropsychol. 2010;25(7):601-09. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/arclin/acq049

Stein. TDE: teste de desempenho escolar: manual para aplicação e interpretação. São Paulo: Casa do Psicólogo, 1994.

Rossetto-Junior AJ, Júnior AA, D'angelo FL, Costa CM. Jogos educativos: estrutura e organização da prática. 5. ed. São Paulo: Phorte, 2009.

Sánchez‐López, M., Cavero‐Redondo, I., Álvarez‐Bueno, C., Ruiz‐Hermosa, A., Pozuelo‐Carrascosa, D. P., Díez‐Fernández et al. Impact of a multicomponent physical activity intervention on cognitive performance: The MOVI‐KIDS study. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2019;29(5):766-75. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.13383

Molinari M, Masciullo M, Bulgheroni S, D’Arrigo S, Riva D. Cognitive aspects: sequencing, behavior, and executive functions. Handb Clin Neurol. 2018;154:167-80. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-63956-1.00010-2

Benzing V, Chang, YK., Schmidt M. Acute Physical Activity Enhances Executive Functions in Children with ADHD. Scientific reports 2018;8(1):12382. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-30067-8

Xiong S, Li X,Tao K. Effects of Structured Physical Activity Program on Chinese Young Children’s Executive Functions and Perceived Physical Competence in a Day Care Center. Biomed Res Int. 2017;2017:5635070. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/5635070

Drollette ES, Pontifex MB, Raine LB, Scudder MR, Moore RD, Kao SC, et al. Effects of the FITKids physical activity randomized controlled trial on conflict monitoring in youth. Psychophysiology 2018;55(3) e13017. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.13017

Silva HVA, Nascimento TA, Lima TM, Costa AS. The effect of an initiation to struggles structured program on the physical capacities, visual attention and school performance in elementary school children. Rev Bras Ciênc Esporte. 2018;41,176-82. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rbce.2018.04.012

Luque MI, Almeida CA. A interação social e a construção da brincadeira. Cadernos de pesquisa. 1995;(93):60-65.

Diamond A, Barnett WS, Thomas J, Munro S. Preschool program improves cognitive control. Science. 2007;318(5855):1387-88. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1151148

Chaddock-Heyman L, Erickson, KI, Chappell MA, Johnson CL, Kienzler C, Knecht A, et al. Aerobic fitness is associated with greater hippocampal cerebral blood flow in children. Dev Cogn Neurosci. 2016;20:52-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2016.07.001

Anobile G, Stievano P, Burr DC. Visual sustained attention and numerosity sensitivity correlate with math achievement in children. J Exp Child Psychol. 2013; 116(2):380-91. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2013.06.006

Capovilla AGS, Dias NM. "Desenvolvimento de habilidades atencionais em estudantes da 1ª à 4ª sério do ensino fundamental e relação com rendimento escolar. "Revista Psicopedagogia. 2008;25(78):198-211.

Coolahan K, Fantuzzo J, Mendez J, McDermott P. Preschool peer interactions and readiness to learn: Relationships between classroom peer play and learning behaviors and conduct. J Educ Psychol. 2000;92(3):458. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.92.3.458

Downloads

Published

11/21/2023

How to Cite

1.
Nascimento TA do, Silva HVA da, Ribas JC de O, Florêncio Junior PG, Alexandre IG, Merege-Filho CAA, et al. Effects of play on children’s cognition and school performance. Rev. Bras. Ativ. Fís. Saúde [Internet]. 2023 Nov. 21 [cited 2025 Feb. 5];28:1-9. Available from: https://rbafs.org.br/RBAFS/article/view/15099

Issue

Vol. 28 (2023)

Section

Original Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2023 Brazilian Journal of Physical Activity & Health

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

When submitting a manuscript to the Revista Brasileira de Atividade Física & Saúde, the authors retain the copyright to the article and authorize the Revista Brasileira de Atividade Física & Saúde to publish the manuscript under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License and identify it as the original publication source.