The healthy development of cognitive functions, including executive functions, has been shown to depend mainly on the experiences and learning opportunities of people, especially during childhood. Over the past few years, researchers have been studying the impacts of diverse types of interventions on children's cognitive development in which computational thinking programs are a recent field. This pilot study evaluated the effect of computational thinking training based on the "Programming for Children" program on the executive functions of children aged 10 and 11 years: working memory, inhibition, and planning (N = 30). The results showed that children in the experimental group improved on tests of visuospatial working memory, cognitive inhibition, and sequential planning compared with the control group. However, tests of verbal working memory, memory strategy, and visual spatial planning did not show any observed changes. Although this was an exploratory study, and its findings should be interpreted cautiously due to the small sample size, the findings support the relevance and feasibility of conducting similar larger studies with larger samples.

Background: The purpose of this systematic review is to synthesize the existing literature reporting the effects of computerized cognitive trainings on the executive functions of children with ADHD. Method: A systematic review was carried out following the PRISMA statement; the primary sources used were five electronic databases (Scopus, Science Direct, Pubmed, Springer, Taylor & Francis). Results: 20 articles met the eligibility criteria, data on the training characteristics and the effects on executive functions were extracted, followed by an analysis of bias and the methodological quality of the studies. The results of the studies were widely heterogeneous, largely associated with the variety of training programs and the measurement instruments used. The most studied executive functions were working memory and inhibitory control. Some of the studies reported that the intervention led to significant effects on working memory and attention ( N = 7), and improvements in inhibitory control ( N = 5) and planning ( N = 4) were also reported. At the same time, others did not report the effects of the intervention on these processes. The assessment of the quality of the evidence showed important risk biases among the reviewed studies. Conclusion: Some training based on computer systems showed positive effects on the executive functions of working memory, attention, and inhibitory control in children with ADHD. However, other training sessions did not show significant effects. In general, the evidence shows mixed results, a high diversity of measurement instruments, and high risks of bias between the studies. Therefore, the evidence has not been consistent about the general benefits of computerized training on the executive functions of children with ADHD.

(analítico): en este artículo se presentan los resultados de una investigación de carácter cualitativo, de tipo descriptivo-interpretativo, la cual correspondió a un análisis documental, cuyo objetivo fue identificar los retos emergentes a la formación del educador infantil que surgen de las políticas educativas nacionales e internacionales. A partir de un análisis de contenido de los textos de política, se exploraron las categorías axiales de políticas públicas, primera infancia y formación docente, ejercicio del que emergieron categorías y subcategorías en relación con los saberes que se esperan de un educador infantil: saberes generales, saberes pedagógicos, saberes didácticos y saberes transversales.

Objective. To determine the effect of a physical exercise training program, “HitSportGame” (HSG), on self-regulation of children with ADHD. Subjects and methods. The participants (N = 44) were children with ADHD aged 8 to 12 years (Mean 10.5 SD 1.4) without comorbidity with other neurodevelopmental disorders. Children were randomized to an experimental group and a wait-list control group. The experimental group participated in the Hit-Sport-Game (HSG) training program thrice a week for 12 weeks. The self-control skills of the participants in both groups were evaluated with the CACIA (Child and Adolescent Self-Control Questionnaire) 1 week before and 1 week after completing the entire intervention. Results. The results showed significant improvements with effect sizes from moderate to large in the scales of personal feedback ( P = .003; η²_p = 0.183), criteria self-control ( P = .029; η²_p = 0.112), and procedural self-control ( P = .015; η²_p = 0.131) after the intervention in the experimental group compared to the control group, which showed no difference on any of these scales. The reward delay scale did not show significant changes associated with the intervention ( P = .104; η²_p = 0.059). Conclusions. HitSportGame physical exercise training demonstrated favorable effects on some self-control skills such as personal feedback, criterial self-control and procedural self-control of children with ADHD. However, it did not show any effect on the ability to delay rewards in this population.