A pilot and exploratory study on the effects of a board-game intervention on early mathematical reasoning in...

This study examined the effectiveness of a structured board-game intervention on early mathematical reasoning skills in preschool children.

This pilot and exploratory study used a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design, 24 children aged 60-71 months were assigned to experimental (n = 12) and control (n = 12) groups. The intervention, implemented over 6 weeks, included five board games targeting cognitive and reasoning processes. Data were collected using the Early Mathematical Reasoning Skills Assessment Tool and analyzed using ANCOVA, change score comparisons, and interaction-based regression with Johnson-Neyman techniques.

Controlling for pretest scores obtained from the Early Mathematical Reasoning Skills Assessment Tool, the experimental group showed significantly higher posttest mathematical reasoning performance than the control group. Moderation analyses indicated stronger effects for children with medium and high initial skill levels. Subdimension analyses revealed larger gains in data analysis-probability than in measurement.

Overall, the findings suggest that board-game activities can effectively support early mathematical reasoning, although additional support may be needed for measurement-related skills. However, the findings should be interpreted as preliminary due to the pilot and exploratory nature of the study and require validation through larger-scale research.