A Preschool Rhythm and Movement Intervention: RCT Evidence for Improved Social and Behavioral Development

Area of Science:

• Child Development
• Educational Psychology
• Music Therapy

Background:

• Active music and movement are integral to socialization, especially in early childhood.
• Music therapy benefits clinical populations, but evidence for non-clinical groups is limited.
• Early childhood social and behavioral wellbeing is crucial, particularly for disadvantaged children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the Rhythm and Movement for Self-Regulation (RAMSR) program's impact on social and behavioral wellbeing.
• To assess the effectiveness of active music engagement delivered by generalist teachers in low socioeconomic preschools.

Main Methods:

• A randomized control trial involving 213 children across eight preschools in disadvantaged communities.
• Intervention group received 16-20 RAMSR sessions over eight weeks; control group received usual programs.
• Teacher-reported data collected pre-intervention, post-intervention, and six months later.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements in prosocial skills (p = 0.04) were observed.
• Significant reductions in externalizing (p < 0.01) and internalizing behavior problems (p = 0.04) were found.
• Small to moderate effect sizes supported the intervention's positive impact across all measures.

Conclusions:

• Intentional active music engagement in universal preschool settings positively impacts social and behavioral wellbeing.
• The RAMSR program offers a valuable, accessible intervention for children in low socioeconomic communities.
• Findings underscore the need for equitable access to high-quality music and movement programs for at-risk children.