Positive results for mindfulness program
 

Elementary school pupils who took part in a mindfulness program showed improved social-emotional competencies and math grades.
 

The study in Canada took place in four elementary schools, which were allocated at random to deliver either a mindfulness program or a social responsibility program as a control. In total, almost 100 grade 4 and 5 children took part. The mindfulness program, MindUp, consisted of 12 lessons taught once a week, each lesson lasting around 45 minutes. The program included mindfulness activities such as breathing and attentive listening and lessons encouraging acts of kindness and community service.
 

Children in the MindUp program showed significant improvements in executive function, self-reported well-being, and self- and peer-reported social behavior. They also demonstrated better math performance.

The authors argue that although this study is small, it shows potential for this kind of training to improve cognitive skills, social-emotional competence, and well-being in a real-world setting.

Johns Hopkins University 

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