Impact of Daily Student Meditation on Focused Attention in a 3 to 6-year-old Montessori Classroom

Abstract

A growing interest in the benefits of youth meditation has led to new research in early childhood and elementary classrooms. The results of the existing studies are promising, but the body of research is limited and does not include children in a Montessori setting. Youth meditation studies have reported improvements in social-emotional behaviors, self-regulatory skills, executive function, and attention as a result of consistent meditation practices. An action research project was designed to determine if ten children, between the ages of two and a half and six years, in a Montessori classroom would demonstrate an increase in focus and concentration after six weeks of daily meditation practice. Data collection transpired via teacher observations, rating scales, and checklists. The results of this study denoted favorable variations in focus and concentration after the implementation of daily meditation. Future considerations include completing a lengthier assessment to determine the full effects of meditation on students' behavior as well as conducting a comprehensive study that incorporates additional Montessori schools.