WWC review of this study

Playing Linear Number Board Games--but Not Circular Ones--Improves Low-Income Preschoolers' Numerical Understanding [Linear board game vs. numerical activities]

Siegler, Robert S.; Ramani, Geetha B. (2009). Journal of Educational Psychology, v101 n3 p545-560. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ861180

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
     examining 
    59
     Students
    , grade
    PK

Reviewed: July 2022

At least one finding shows promising evidence of effectiveness
At least one statistically significant positive finding
Meets WWC standards without reservations
Mathematics outcomes—Statistically significant positive effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

Numerical Magnitude Comparison

Linear board game vs. Other intervention

0 Days

Linear board game vs numerical activities (comparison);
59 students

77.00

65.00

Yes

 
 
27
 

Number line Estimation-Percent Absolute Error

Linear board game vs. Other intervention

0 Days

Linear board game vs numerical activities (comparison);
59 students

21.00

25.00

No

--

Counting - percentage correct counting to 10

Linear board game vs. Other intervention

0 Days

Linear board game vs numerical activities (comparison);
59 students

93.00

86.00

No

--

Number Identification

Linear board game vs. Other intervention

0 Days

Linear board game vs numerical activities (comparison);
59 students

7.30

6.80

No

--

Arithmethic - percent answered correctly

Linear board game vs. Other intervention

0 Days

Linear board game vs numerical activities (comparison);
59 students

45.00

28.00

No

--


Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.

Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.


  • Female: 56%
    Male: 44%
  • Race
    Black
    34%
    Other or unknown
    5%
    White
    61%

Setting

This study was conducted in seven Head Start classrooms and two childcare centers. All study sites served families with very low incomes.

Study sample

On average children were four years, eight months and ranged in age from four years to five years, five months. Among participants, 34 percent were African American, 61 percent were Caucasian, and five percent were Asian, Hispanic, biracial, or unknown. (The authors treated ‘Hispanic’ as a racial category).

Intervention Group

Children in the intervention condition worked one-on-one with a experimenter five times across a three week period. Each session lasted 15-20 minutes. During each session, the child and experimenter played The Great Race, a board game, that consists of 10 horizontally arranged, different colored squares of equal size, with the word ‘‘Start’’ at the left end and the word ‘‘End’’ at the right end. Each square contained one number, with the numerical magnitudes increasing from left to right. Children would use a spinner and move the tokens while saying the number spaces aloud as they moved the token.

Comparison Group

Children in the comparison condition worked one-on-one with a experimenter five times across a three week period. Each session lasted 15-20 minutes. During each session, the child and experimenter completed three tasks: number string counting, numeral identification, and object counting.

Support for implementation

The article states that all sessions were led by either the second author or a research assistant. No other information was provided regarding how these experimenters were trained.

Reviewed: November 2013

Meets WWC standards without reservations


Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.

Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.


  • Female: 56%
    Male: 44%
  • Race
    Black
    34%
    Other or unknown
    5%
    White
    61%

Reviewed: September 2010

Meets WWC standards without reservations


Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.

Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.


  • Female: 56%
    Male: 44%
  • Race
    Black
    34%
    Other or unknown
    5%
    White
    61%
 

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