Associations between prekindergarten instructional activities and the development of executive function skills

Early childhood provides the foundation for subsequent learning and development in the early grades. One foundational set of skills involves executive function, those learning-related competencies developing between 3 and 6 years that help children persist, pay attention, and monitor their learning. An increasing number of young children experience formal education prior to kindergarten as more states fund prekindergarten (Pre-K) programs housed in the public schools. This study aimed to understand specific aspects of Pre-K classrooms that contribute to the development of children's executive function skills. We examined aspects of the classroom organization as well as specific experiences children had within major activities of the day. Further, the study tested whether responses to these classroom factors varied by children's executive function skills. Using a behavioral count system, we observed 1,103 children (M_age 54.5 months) for a full day at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year in 80 public school Pre-K classrooms where the primary enrollment criterion was eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch. A battery of direct assessments measured executive function skills at the beginning and end of Pre-K. Results suggest that children who participate with higher levels of involvement in goal-directed and social tasks made larger executive function gains, and these interactions are especially true for children who enter Pre-K with lower executive function skills. When teachers created more engaging teacher-led activities, with opportunities for social interactions, all children's executive function skills benefited, especially those with lower entering skills. Implications for Pre-K instruction are provided. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).