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But a new study performed by Sammy Ahmed, assistant professor of human development and family science in äçÐÄvlogÃâ·ÑBÕ¾\u2019s College of Health Sciences<\/a>, is shedding light on this topic. The results were published in the journal Early Childhood Research Quarterly<\/em><\/a> this spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPreschool is an important time for children\u2019s executive function development,\u201d said Sammy Ahmed, assistant professor of human development and family science in äçÐÄvlogÃâ·ÑBÕ¾\u2019s College of Health Sciences<\/a>. \u201cThese skills have been linked to several important educational, behavioral, and health outcomes across the lifespan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ahmed and colleagues from Michigan State University partnered with HighScope<\/a>, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing early education, to study how supporting teachers\u2019 implementation of their preschool curriculum can improve students\u2019 executive function skills. The research was funded by a U.S. Department of Education Grant.<\/p>\n\n\n The research team recruited families who had children enrolled in early learning centers during the 2021-22 school year to participate in the study. Recruitment yielded 317 children from centers using the HighScope curriculum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Teachers were assigned to an experimental group or a control group. The experimental group attended five trainings and received ongoing coaching with experienced early childhood educators. The control group followed the curriculum without training or coaching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWorkshop topics covered the relevance of executive function skills for children\u2019s learning and behavior, the ways that children develop these skills, and strategies to promote executive function skills in classroom settings,\u201d said Ahmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The workshops included whole group discussions and guided practices to small group work and individual reflections. Coaching supported the implementation of new strategies learned in the workshops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The students in the experimental group were found to have displayed \u201cmodest\u201d improved executive function from the fall to the spring. Researchers speculate that shorter, more frequent training sessions might yield greater improvement. They also note that COVID-19 protocols coupled with professional turnover during the pandemic may have been an impediment to more significant gains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While gains may have been modest, a report published by the Annenberg Institute at Brown University supported many of the conclusions Ahmed and his colleagues made when working on their preschool study. The October report<\/a> was produced in partnership with the Rhode Island School Superintendents Association and the Rhode Island Department of Education. It emphasized that instructional changes require districts to implement professional learning that helps teachers learn new ways of teaching and to provide ongoing support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe report affirms the Rhode Island’s recent commitment to teacher professional learning, which is becoming increasingly recognized as an important workforce investment,\u201d said Ahmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2026\/06\/worktime-teacher-at-child-level-1024x659.jpeg\")