IMPACT OF A NEUROPSYCHOPEDAGOGICAL MOTOR PROGRAM ON EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS AND LANGUAGE  SKILLS IN PRESCHOOLERS

Fabrício Bruno Cardoso, Laboratory of Educational Innovations and Neuropsychopedagogical Studies (LIEENP), Faculdade CENSUPEG, Joinville, Brazil; Núcleo de Divulgação Científica e Ensino de Neurociências (NuDCEN), Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho (IBCCF), Programa de Neurobiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Lucianara Braga, Laboratory of Educational Innovations and Neuropsychopedagogical Studies (LIEENP), Faculdade CENSUPEG, Joinville, Brazil

Filipe M. Bonone, Laboratory of Educational Innovations and Neuropsychopedagogical Studies (LIEENP), Faculdade CENSUPEG, Joinville, Brazil

Fábia Algarve, Laboratory of Educational Innovations and Neuropsychopedagogical Studies (LIEENP), Faculdade CENSUPEG, Joinville, Brazil

Elizete Defreyn, Municipal Department of Education of Blumenau - SC, Brazil

Neusa da Silva Justi, Municipal Department of Education of Blumenau - SC, Brazil

Rosineia Andrade Ferreira, Municipal Department of Education of Blumenau - SC, Brazil

Joyce Kelli Dos Santos Ferreira, Municipal Department of Education of Blumenau - SC, Brazil

Francilene de Souza, Municipal Department of Education of Blumenau - SC, Brazil

Alfred Sholl-Franco, Laboratory of Educational Innovations and Neuropsychopedagogical Studies (LIEENP), Faculdade CENSUPEG, Joinville, Brazil; Núcleo de Divulgação Científica e Ensino de Neurociências (NuDCEN), Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho (IBCCF), Programa de Neurobiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a Neuropsychopedagogical Motor Intervention Program (NMIP) on executive functions and language skills in preschool children. The sample included 621 children, aged 4 to 6 years, enrolled in public schools in southern Brazil. Inclusion criteria required proficient school performance, an estimated IQ above 80 (WISC-IV), and the absence of psychoactive medication, significant attention or behavioral disorders, or sensory or physical impairments. Executive functions were assessed through teacher-completed screening scales. The Child Inhibitory Control Screening Scale (CICS) evaluated inhibitory control across 18 everyday scenarios, with scores ranging from 18 to 90 points (expected ≥44). The Neuropsychopedagogical Screening Scale for Working Memory (NSSWM) measured working memory using 23 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale, with scores ranging from 23 to 115 points (expected ≥70). Phonological skills were assessed using the Screening Scale for Phonological Skills (SSPS), comprising 17 items with scores ranging from 1 to 70 (expected ≥56). Reading and writing abilities were evaluated using the Reading and Writing Skills Screening Scale (RSRWS), a 12-item tool with a scoring range of 12 to 60 points (expected ≥42).The NMIP consisted of 36 sessions, 15 minutes each, based on the "Coordenando-se" methodology. Activities included matching geometric shapes and colors to body movements to enhance motor development, executive functions, and mindfulness. Post-intervention results revealed significant improvements in inhibitory control (12.7%), working memory (11.6%), phonological skills (19.1%), and reading and writing skills (37.2%) (p<0.01). The percentage of children performing below expected thresholds decreased across all measures.
These findings underscore the potential of structured motor-based interventions to enhance executive functions and language skills in preschoolers, highlighting the NMIP’s applicability in early education to foster equitable cognitive and academic development.

Keywords
executive functions, Neuropsychopedagogy, Language Development, Motor-Based Interventions, children’s.

Cite this paper
Fabrício Bruno Cardoso, Lucianara Braga, Filipe M. Bonone, Fábia Algarve, Elizete Defreyn, Neusa da Silva Justi, Rosineia Andrade Ferreira, Joyce Kelli Dos Santos Ferreira, Francilene de Souza, Alfred Sholl-Franco, IMPACT OF A NEUROPSYCHOPEDAGOGICAL MOTOR PROGRAM ON EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS AND LANGUAGE SKILLS IN PRESCHOOLERS , SCIREA Journal of Education. Volume 10, Issue 1, February 2025 | PP. 1-19. 10.54647/education880565

References

[ 1 ]	Blair, Clancy, and C Cybele Raver. “School readiness and self-regulation: a developmental psychobiological approach.” Annual review of psychology vol. 66 (2015): 711-31. doi:10.1146/annurev-psych-010814-015221
[ 2 ]	Diamond, Adele. “Executive functions.” Handbook of clinical neurology vol. 173 (2020): 225-240. doi:10.1016/B978-0-444-64150-2.00020-4
[ 3 ]	Zelazo, Philip David et al. “The development of executive function in early childhood.” Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development vol. 68,3 (2003): vii-137. doi:10.1111/j.0037-976x.2003.00260.x
[ 4 ]	Wiebe, Sandra A., and Julia Karbach. Executive Function. Taylor & Francis, 2017.
[ 5 ]	Barkley, Russell A. “Behavioral inhibition, sustained attention, and executive functions: constructing a unifying theory of ADHD.” Psychological bulletin vol. 121,1 (1997): 65-94. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.121.1.65
[ 6 ]	Brandenburg, Janin et al. “Working Memory in Children With Learning Disabilities in Reading Versus Spelling: Searching for Overlapping and Specific Cognitive Factors.” Journal of learning disabilities vol. 48,6 (2015): 622-34. doi:10.1177/0022219414521665
[ 7 ]	Sung, Jihyun, and Kandauda A. S. Wickrama. "Longitudinal Relationship between Early Academic Achievement and Executive Function: Mediating Role of Approaches to Learning." Contemporary Educational Psychology, vol. 54, 2018, pp. 171–183, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2018.06.010.
[ 8 ]	Gathercole, S. E., Pickering, S. J., Knight, C., and Stegmann, Z. "Working Memory Skills and Educational Attainment: Evidence from National Curriculum Assessments at 7 and 14 Years of Age." Applied Cognitive Psychology, vol. 18, 2004, pp. 1–16, https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.934.
[ 9 ]	Titz, Catharina, and Julia Karbach. "Working Memory and Executive Functions: Effects of Training on Academic Achievement." Psychological Research, vol. 78, no. 6, 2014, pp. 852–868, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-013-0537-1.
[ 10 ]	Gjicali, Kalina, Jennifer Astuto, and Anastasiya A. Lipnevich. "Relations among Language Comprehension, Oral Counting, and Numeral Knowledge of Ethnic and Racial Minority Young Children from Low-Income Communities." Early Childhood Research Quarterly, vol. 46, 1st Quarter, 2019, pp. 5–19.
[ 11 ]	Anthony, Christopher James, and Julia Ogg. "Parent Involvement, Approaches to Learning, and Student Achievement: Examining Longitudinal Mediation." School Psychology, vol. 34, no. 4, July 2019, pp. 376–385.
[ 12 ]	Greiff, Viktor, Ulrich Menzel, Uwe Haessler, et al. "Quantitative Assessment of the Robustness of Next-Generation Sequencing of Antibody Variable Gene Repertoires from Immunized Mice." BMC Immunology, vol. 15, no. 40, 2014, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12865-014-0040-5.
[ 13 ]	Brocki, Karin C, and Gunilla Bohlin. “Executive functions in children aged 6 to 13: a dimensional and developmental study.” Developmental neuropsychology vol. 26,2 (2004): 571-93. doi:10.1207/s15326942dn2602_3
[ 14 ]	Injoque-Ricle, Irene et al. “Expertise, Working Memory and Articulatory Suppression Effect: Their Relation with Simultaneous Interpreting Performance.” Advances in cognitive psychology vol. 11,2 56-63. 30 Jun. 2015, doi:10.5709/acp-0171-1
[ 15 ]	Schmitt, Sara A., Gerald J. Geldhof, David J. Purpura, Robert Duncan, and Megan M. McClelland. "Examining the Relations between Executive Function, Math, and Literacy during the Transition to Kindergarten: A Multi-Analytic Approach." Journal of Educational Psychology, vol. 109, no. 8, 2017, pp. 1120–1140, https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000193.
[ 16 ]	Valcan, Debora S., Helen L. Davis, Deborah Pino-Pasternak, and Anabela A. Malpique. "Executive Functioning as a Predictor of Children’s Mathematics, Reading, and Writing." Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, vol. 70, July–Sept. 2020, 101196, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2020.101196.
[ 17 ]	Dubuc MM, Aubertin-Leheudre M, Karelis AD. Predictors of Academic Performance in High School Students: The Longitudinal ASAP Study. Int J Exerc Sci. 2022;15(4):616-631. Published 2022 May 1.
[ 18 ]	Sankalaite, Simona, Marieke Huizinga, Peter Warreyn, Jasmien Dewandeleer, and Dirk Baeyens. "The Association between Working Memory, Teacher-Student Relationship, and Academic Performance in Primary School Children." Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 14, 2023, 1240741, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1240741.
[ 19 ]	Raghubar, Kimberly P, and Marcia A Barnes. “Early numeracy skills in preschool-aged children: a review of neurocognitive findings and implications for assessment and intervention.” The Clinical neuropsychologist vol. 31,2 (2017): 329-351. doi:10.1080/13854046.2016.1259387
[ 20 ]	Butterfuss, Rebecca, and Panayiota Kendeou. "The Role of Executive Functions in Reading Comprehension." Educational Psychology Review, vol. 30, no. 3, 2018, pp. 801–826, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-017-9422-6.
[ 21 ]	Escobar J-P, Espinoza V, Balboa S. Relations Between Executive Functions and Reading Comprehension: A Study of Fourth-Grade Students with and Without Reading Comprehension Difficulties. Brain Sciences. 2024; 14(12):1174. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14121174
[ 22 ]	Kang, Weixi et al. “Inhibitory Control Development: A Network Neuroscience Perspective.” Frontiers in psychology vol. 13 651547. 10 Oct. 2022, doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.651547
[ 23 ]	Wang L, Li J, Jia F, Lian L, Li L. The Development of Response and Interference Inhibition in Children: Evidence from Serious Game Training. Children. 2024; 11(2):138. https://doi.org/10.3390/children11020138
[ 24 ]	Karipidis, Iliana I., Gisela Pleisch, Silke V. Di Pietro, Guillermo Fraga-González, and Sonja Brem. "Developmental Trajectories of Letter and Speech Sound Integration During Reading Acquisition." Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 12, 2021, 750491, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.750491.
[ 25 ]	Pérez-Pereira, Miguel, Zeltia Martínez-López, and Lourdes Maneiro. "Longitudinal Relationships Between Reading Abilities, Phonological Awareness, Language Abilities, and Executive Functions: Comparison of Low-Risk Preterm and Full-Term Children." Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 11, 2020, 468, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00468.
[ 26 ]	Korom M, Goldstein A, Tabachnick AR, Palmwood EN, Simons RF, Dozier M. Early parenting intervention accelerates inhibitory control development among CPS-involved children in middle childhood: A randomized clinical trial. Dev Sci. 2021;24(3):e13054. doi:10.1111/desc.13054
[ 27 ]	Shvartsman M, Shaul S. The Role of Working Memory in Early Literacy and Numeracy Skills in Kindergarten and First Grade. Children. 2023; 10(8):1285. https://doi.org/10.3390/children10081285
[ 28 ]	Setti, W., L. F. Cuturi, G. Sandini, and M. Gori. "Changes in Audio-Spatial Working Memory Abilities During Childhood: The Role of Spatial and Phonological Development." PLoS ONE, vol. 16, no. 12, 2021, e0260700, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0260700.
[ 29 ]	Gathercole SE, Woolgar F; CALM Team, et al. How Common are WM Deficits in Children with Difficulties in Reading and Mathematics?. J Appl Res Mem Cogn. 2016;5(4):384-394. doi:10.1016/j.jarmac.2016.07.013
[ 30 ]	Howard, Steven J., Elise Vasseleu, Craig Neilsen-Hewett, Marc de Rosnay, Annabel Chan, Sarah J. Johnstone, et al. "Executive Function and Self-Regulation: Bi-Directional Longitudinal Associations and Prediction of Early Academic Skills." Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 12, 2021, 733328, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.733328.
[ 31 ]	Yang, Ling, Yan Xiong, and Qun Chen. "The Role of Linguistic and Cognitive Skills in Reading Chinese as a Second Language: A Path Analysis Modeling Approach." Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 14, 2023, 1131913, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1131913.
[ 32 ]	Queiroga, Bárbara A. M. de, Ana G. C. Rosal, T. Braga, Jéssica K. O. de Melo, and Simone A. Capellini. "Preschoolers’ Cognitive-Linguistic Performance in Different Educational Contexts." Revista CEFAC, vol. 25, no. 4, 2023, e0923, https://doi.org/10.1590/1982-0216/20232540923.
[ 33 ]	Reina-Reina, Claudia, Eneko Antón, and Jon Andoni Duñabeitia. 2024. "A Systematic Literature Review of the Impact of Cognitive Stimulation Programs on Reading Skills in Children Aged between 6 and 12 Years Old" Education Sciences 14, no. 3: 229. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14030229
[ 34 ]	Davis S, Rawlings B, Clegg JM, et al. Cognitive flexibility supports the development of cumulative cultural learning in children. Sci Rep. 2022;12(1):14073. Published 2022 Aug 18. doi:10.1038/s41598-022-18231-7
[ 35 ]	Patwardhan, Isha, Timothy D. Nelson, Megan M. McClelland, and W. Alex Mason. "Childhood Cognitive Flexibility and Externalizing and Internalizing Behavior Problems: Examination of Prospective Bidirectional Associations." Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, vol. 49, 2021, pp. 413–427, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-020-00757-x.
[ 36 ]	Mengxia, Li. "Preschoolers’ Cognitive Flexibility and Emotion Understanding: A Developmental Perspective." Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 15, 2024, 1280739, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1280739.
[ 37 ]	Yinon, Revital, and Shelley Shaul. "Examining the Developmental Trade-off Between Phonology and Morphology in Hebrew Reading Acquisition." Reading and Writing, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-024-10570-3.
[ 38 ]	Bayley, Stephen H. "Learning for Adaptation and 21st-Century Skills: Evidence of Pupils’ Flexibility in Rwandan Primary Schools." International Journal of Educational Development, vol. 93, 2022, 102642, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2022.102642.
[ 39 ]	Nesbitt, Katherine T., Dale C. Farran, and Mary W. Fuhs. "Executive Function Skills and Academic Achievement Gains in Prekindergarten: Contributions of Learning-Related Behaviors." Developmental Psychology, vol. 51, no. 7, 2015, pp. 865–878, https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000021.
[ 40 ]	Berninger, Virginia, Robert Abbott, Cristina R. Cook, and William Nagy. "Relationships of Attention and Executive Functions to Oral Language, Reading, and Writing Skills and Systems in Middle Childhood and Early Adolescence." Journal of Learning Disabilities, vol. 50, no. 4, 2017, pp. 434–449, https://doi.org/10.1177/0022219415617167.
[ 41 ]	Santos, E. C. G., and Fabrício B. Cardoso. "Avaliação do Controle Inibitório de Crianças por Meio de uma Triagem Neuropsicopedagógica Para Controle Inibitório de Crianças." Anais do VII Congresso Internacional e XXVII Congresso Nacional da ABENEPI (Associação Brasileira de Neurologia e Psiquiatria Infantil e Profissões Afins), vol. 3, 2023.
[ 42 ]	Padilha, M. C., and Fabrício B. Cardoso. Manual de Aplicação da Escala de Triagem de Memória Operacional. Censupeg, 2022.
[ 43 ]	Cardoso, F., Filippo, C., Ferrandini, L. M., & Anselmo, T. (2024). Validation of a screening scale for phonological awareness skills in a brazilian context: Validação de escala de rastreio para habilidades de consciência fonológica em contexto brasileiro. Concilium, 24(1), 163-176. https://doi.org/10.53660/CLM-2708-24A19
[ 44 ]	Ribeiro, C., and Fabrício B. Cardoso. Manual de Aplicação do Rastreio Neuropsicopedagógico de habilidades de leitura e ecrita para pré-escolares. Censupeg, 2024.
[ 45 ]	Cardoso, Fabrício B., Lucianara Braga, Daniela C. Abreu, Vitor S. Loureiro, João V. Galo-Esteves, Aliny S. Carvalho, and Alfred Sholl-Franco. "The Effects of Neuropsicopedagogical Ludomotora Intervention on the Academic Performance of Children with Learning Difficulties." International Journal of Health Science, vol. 1, 2021, pp. 1–9, https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.1592120102.
[ 46 ]	Cardoso, Fabrício, Lucianara Braga, Vitor Loureiro, Filipe Bonone, Samuel Souza, and Alfred Sholl-Franco. "Neuropsychopedagogical Motor Intervention Program Strengthening Inhibitory Control, Working Memory, and Language Abilities in Post-COVID-19 School Returnees." Journal of Education and Training Studies, vol. 12, no. 3, 2024, pp. 1–11. Web. 28 Dec. 2024.
[ 47 ]	Rosas, Rosa, Vicente Espinoza, Francisco Porflitt, and Francisca Ceric. "Executive Functions Can Be Improved in Preschoolers Through Systematic Playing in Educational Settings: Evidence From a Longitudinal Study." Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 10, 2019, 2024, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02024.
[ 48 ]	Ramos, Daniela Karine, Maria Luiza Bianchi, Eliza Regina Rebello, and Maria Eduarda de O. Martins. "Interventions with Games in an Educational Context: Improving Executive Functions." Psicologia: Teoria e Prática, vol. 21, no. 2, 2019, pp. 316–335, https://doi.org/10.5935/1980-6906/psicologia.v21n2p316-335.
[ 49 ]	Zhu, Feilong, et al. "Comparative Effectiveness of Various Physical Exercise Interventions on Executive Functions and Related Symptoms in Children and Adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis." Frontiers in Public Health, vol. 11, 1133727, 24 Mar. 2023, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1133727.
[ 50 ]	Mao, Fang, Fang Huang, Shijun Zhao, and Qian Fang. "Effects of Cognitively Engaging Physical Activity Interventions on Executive Function in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 15, 2024, 1454447, Published 23 Aug. 2024, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1454447.
[ 51 ]	Feng, Xiaojun, Zhen Zhang, Ting Jin, and Ping Shi. "Effects of Open and Closed Skill Exercise Interventions on Executive Function in Typical Children: A Meta-Analysis." BMC Psychology, vol. 11, no. 1, 2023, 420, Published 30 Nov. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-023-01317-w.
[ 52 ]	Filipe, Maria Gabriela, Ana Sofia Veloso, and Sónia Frota. "Executive Functions and Language Skills in Preschool Children: The Unique Contribution of Verbal Working Memory and Cognitive Flexibility." Brain Sciences, vol. 13, no. 3, 2023, 470, Published 10 Mar. 2023, https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13030470.
[ 53 ]	Martin, Anne, J. N. Booth, Y. Laird, J. Sproule, J. J. Reilly, and D. H. Saunders. "Physical Activity, Diet and Other Behavioural Interventions for Improving Cognition and School Achievement in Children and Adolescents with Obesity or Overweight." Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, vol. 1, no. 1, 2018, CD009728, Published 29 Jan. 2018, https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD009728.pub3.
[ 54 ]	Ralli, Anna-Maria, Eirini Chrysochoou, Panagiotis Roussos, Kleopatra Diakogiorgi, Panagiota Dimitropoulou, and Despina Filippatou. "Executive Function, Working Memory, and Verbal Fluency in Relation to Non-Verbal Intelligence in Greek-Speaking School-Age Children with Developmental Language Disorder." Brain Sciences, vol. 11, no. 5, 2021, 604, https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11050604.
[ 55 ]	Scionti, Nicolò, Matteo Cavallero, Claudio Zogmaister, and Gian Marco Marzocchi. "Is Cognitive Training Effective for Improving Executive Functions in Preschoolers? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 10, 2020, 2812, Published 10 Jan. 2020, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02812.
[ 56 ]	Jaeggi, Susanne M., Martin Buschkuehl, John Jonides, and Priti Shah. "Benefícios de Curto e Longo Prazo do Treinamento Cognitivo." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 108, 2011, pp. 10081–10086, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1103228108.
[ 57 ]	Mackey, Allyson P., Stephen S. Hill, Suzanne I. Stone, and Silvia A. Bunge. "Differential Effects of Reasoning and Speed Training in Children." Developmental Science, vol. 14, no. 3, 2011, pp. 582–590.
[ 58 ]	Klingberg, Torkel. "Training and plasticity of working memory." Trends in cognitive sciences 14.7 (2010): 317-324.