A Preschool Rhythm and Movement Intervention: RCT Evidence for Improved Social and Behavioral Development

ERCT Criteria Breakdown

• Level 1 Criteria

  • C

    Class-level RCT

    • Randomization occurred at the kindergarten-center (cluster) level, which meets or exceeds the class-level randomization requirement.
    • "This research employed a clustered randomized control trial..."
    • Relevant Quotes: 1) "This research employed a clustered randomized control trial with approval from the Queensland University of Technology Human Research Ethics Committee (approval number 1900000566), and is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12619001342101." 2) "In brief, this study involved eight kindergarten centers in Queensland, Australia (the year before formal schooling in this jurisdiction). Eight centers were randomized to achieve adequate statistical power at the cluster level while preserving a balanced and feasible design." Detailed Analysis: Criterion C requires random assignment at the class level (or a stronger unit, such as school/center) to reduce contamination between treatment and control students sharing the same classroom context. The paper explicitly describes a "clustered randomized control trial" and states that "eight kindergarten centers were randomized," indicating the unit of randomization is the center (a level above individual classrooms and students). This meets (and exceeds) class-level randomization because entire centers were assigned to conditions rather than mixing treatment and control children within the same class. Final Summary: Criterion C is met because the study randomized at the kindergarten-center (cluster) level.
  • E

    Exam-based Assessment

    • Outcomes were measured via teacher-report questionnaires rather than standardized exam-based assessments.
    • "Data was collected through teacher report at pre and post intervention..."
    • Relevant Quotes: 1) "Data was collected through teacher report at pre and post intervention, and again six months later once children had transitioned into their first year of school." 2) "We used four subscales from the Child Self-Regulation and Behavior Questionnaire (CSBQ) (Howard & Melhuish, 2017) which is an educator report requiring the respondent to evaluate the general frequency of target behaviors on a scale of 1 (not true) to 5 (certainly true)." Detailed Analysis: Criterion E requires standardized exam-based assessments (i.e., widely recognized standardized academic tests) as the primary outcome measurement approach. The study reports that data were collected via teacher report, and the Measures section specifies educator-report questionnaire subscales (CSBQ). These are not standardized academic exams. Final Summary: Criterion E is not met because outcomes are based on teacher-report rating scales rather than standardized exams.
  • T

    Term Duration

    • Outcomes were measured at least six months after baseline, which exceeds one academic term from intervention commencement to the latest follow-up measurement.
    • "A further six-month follow-up (T3) occurred after children transitioned to their first year of school, known locally as Prep."
    • Relevant Quotes: 1) "The intervention group received 16 to 20 sessions of RAMSR over eight weeks, while the control group undertook usual preschool programs." 2) "Baseline assessments (T1) were conducted, followed by reassessment six months later, immediately after participation in the intervention (n = 4 centers) or the control condition (n = 4 centers). A further six-month follow-up (T3) occurred after children transitioned to their first year of school, known locally as Prep." Detailed Analysis: Criterion T requires that outcomes are measured at least one full academic term (typically about 3 to 4 months) after the intervention begins, to avoid relying only on immediate post-intervention outcomes. The paper reports measurement at baseline (T1), then again six months later (T2), and then a further six-month follow-up (T3). Regardless of the intervention's eight-week delivery window, the existence of a follow-up timepoint six months after the prior assessment implies at least term-length tracking beyond the start of the intervention program and its initial delivery period. Final Summary: Criterion T is met because the study includes follow-up outcome measurement well beyond one academic term.
  • D

    Documented Control Group

    • The paper documents the control condition and provides control group sample size and demographics.
    • "The intervention group received 16 to 20 sessions of RAMSR over eight weeks, while the control group undertook usual preschool programs."
    • Relevant Quotes: 1) "The intervention group received 16 to 20 sessions of RAMSR over eight weeks, while the control group undertook usual preschool programs." 2) "Table 1. Demographic data for intervention and control groups. Whole Sample N = 213 Intervention (n = 112, 53%) Control (n = 101, 47%)." 3) "Teachers in the control condition were provided with a one-off webinar recording of professional learning related to children’s self-regulation development, and were provided with the full RAMSR training following completion of the study." Detailed Analysis: Criterion D requires a clearly described control group, including what the control group did (or did not) receive and enough information to understand comparability (e.g., sizes and characteristics). The paper states the control group undertook "usual preschool programs" and further specifies an active element for control teachers (a one-off webinar). It also provides group sizes and demographic data in Table 1. Final Summary: Criterion D is met because the control condition is clearly described and baseline group information is reported.

• Level 2 Criteria

  • S

    School-level RCT

    • Entire kindergarten centers (sites) were randomized, satisfying the school-level RCT requirement.
    • "In brief, this study involved eight kindergarten centers in Queensland, Australia... Eight centers were randomized..."
    • Relevant Quotes: 1) "In brief, this study involved eight kindergarten centers in Queensland, Australia (the year before formal schooling in this jurisdiction). Eight centers were randomized to achieve adequate statistical power at the cluster level while preserving a balanced and feasible design." Detailed Analysis: Criterion S requires randomization at the school/site/center level (the institutional unit implementing the intervention). The paper explicitly states that eight kindergarten centers were randomized, which is randomization at the site/center level. Final Summary: Criterion S is met because randomization occurred at the kindergarten-center level.
  • I

    Independent Conduct

    • The paper does not clearly document that the evaluation was conducted independently from the intervention's designers.
    • "Author Contributions: Conceptualization, K.E.W.; methodology, K.E.W.; formal analysis, L.B.; ..."
    • Relevant Quotes: 1) "RAMSR is a result of the collaboration between music therapists, music specialists and early childhood educators who aimed to draw together evidence and practice from music psychology, formal music education, and clinical music therapy to design an intervention that can be implemented by any adult working with children aged 3 to 8 years (Williams, 2018)." 2) "Author Contributions: Conceptualization, K.E.W.; methodology, K.E.W.; formal analysis, L.B.; resources, K.E.W.; data curation, L.B.; writing—original draft preparation, K.E.W. and L.B.; writing— review and editing, K.E.W. and L.B.; supervision, K.E.W.; project administration, L.B.; funding acquisition, K.E.W." Detailed Analysis: Criterion I requires evidence that study conduct and evaluation are independent from the intervention designers/providers to reduce risk of bias. The paper describes RAMSR as a designed intervention and the author-contributions statement shows the authors led core study functions (conceptualization, methodology, resources, supervision, and analysis). The paper does not include a clear statement that an external/independent evaluation team led data collection or analysis independent of the intervention designers. Final Summary: Criterion I is not met because independent conduct of the evaluation is not clearly documented.
  • Y

    Year Duration

    • The study includes measurements spanning baseline and two later timepoints totaling about 12 months, meeting the year-duration requirement.
    • "Baseline assessments (T1) were conducted, followed by reassessment six months later... A further six-month follow-up (T3) occurred..."
    • Relevant Quotes: 1) "Baseline assessments (T1) were conducted, followed by reassessment six months later, immediately after participation in the intervention (n = 4 centers) or the control condition (n = 4 centers). A further six-month follow-up (T3) occurred after children transitioned to their first year of school, known locally as Prep." 2) "Children typically begin their kindergarten year at approximately 3.5–4.5 attending for 12 months prior to formal schooling, with sessions scheduled for four to five days per fortnight." Detailed Analysis: Criterion Y requires outcome measurement for at least 75% of an academic year after the intervention begins (commonly about 9 to 10 months, depending on context). The paper describes baseline (T1), a six-month later assessment (T2), and a further six-month follow-up (T3), implying about 12 months from baseline to the final follow-up. This exceeds 75% of a typical academic year and is consistent with tracking across the transition-to-school period. Final Summary: Criterion Y is met because the study reports approximately 12 months of tracking across T1 to T3.
  • B

    Balanced Control Group

    • Although the intervention required additional teacher training and materials, these appear integral to the intervention package and child sessions were embedded in the regular schedule.
    • "The intervention was integrated into the regular kindergarten schedule, typically during circle time at the start of the day."
    • Relevant Quotes: 1) "Training consisted of a one-day workshop followed by fortnightly on-site coaching. Teachers were provided with all session plans, audio tracks, and instructional videos demonstrating the activities." 2) "The intervention was integrated into the regular kindergarten schedule, typically during circle time at the start of the day." 3) "Teachers in the control condition were provided with a one-off webinar recording of professional learning related to children’s self-regulation development, and were provided with the full RAMSR training following completion of the study." 4) "The intervention group received 16 to 20 sessions of RAMSR over eight weeks, while the control group undertook usual preschool programs." Detailed Analysis: Criterion B compares the nature, quantity, and quality of resources (time, materials, adult support, training) provided to intervention and control groups, and asks whether any resource differences confound the treatment effect, unless the added resources are integral to what is being tested. Extra resources are clearly present for intervention teachers (workshop, ongoing coaching, and provision of materials). The control teachers received a smaller professional learning input (a one-off webinar) and were offered full training after study completion. Critically, the child-facing RAMSR sessions were "integrated into the regular kindergarten schedule," which indicates the program likely substituted for regular circle-time activities rather than adding additional instructional time beyond the normal day. The teacher training/materials appear to be integral components of the RAMSR delivery model, not an incidental add-on separable from the intervention definition. Final Summary: Criterion B is met because added supports are integral to the intervention package and the child-facing time is embedded within regular schedule time.

• Level 3 Criteria

  • R

    Reproduced

    • No peer-reviewed independent replication of this specific trial's findings was found or documented.
    • "Finally, the extent to which the findings presented here might be replicated outside of the local Australian context in which the program was developed and tested is yet to be determined."
    • Relevant Quotes: 1) "Finally, the extent to which the findings presented here might be replicated outside of the local Australian context in which the program was developed and tested is yet to be determined." 2) "A trial of an adapted version of the program has been completed in Hong Kong with results not yet published." Detailed Analysis: Criterion R requires an independent replication by a different research team in a different context, published in a peer- reviewed outlet. The paper itself states replication outside the local context is "yet to be determined" and notes the Hong Kong trial results are "not yet published," which is consistent with the absence of an available peer-reviewed replication at the time of this paper. Additional internet searching for peer-reviewed RCT publications by independent teams reporting replication of these outcomes did not identify a published independent replication paper. Final Summary: Criterion R is not met because an independent, peer-reviewed replication of this study was not found.
  • A

    All-subject Exams

    • Because Criterion E is not met, the all-subject standardized exam requirement cannot be met.
    • Relevant Quotes: 1) "Data was collected through teacher report at pre and post intervention, and again six months later once children had transitioned into their first year of school." 2) "We used four subscales from the Child Self-Regulation and Behavior Questionnaire (CSBQ) (Howard & Melhuish, 2017) which is an educator report..." Detailed Analysis: Criterion A requires standardized exam-based assessment across all main subjects and depends on Criterion E being satisfied. This study uses teacher-report behavioral/social-emotional scales rather than standardized academic exams, so it cannot satisfy Criterion E and therefore cannot satisfy Criterion A. Final Summary: Criterion A is not met because standardized exams are not used (Criterion E is not met).
  • G

    Graduation Tracking

    • The study follows children only through the transition into the first year of school and does not track participants until graduation.
    • "Data was collected through teacher report at pre and post intervention, and again six months later once children had transitioned into their first year of school."
    • Relevant Quotes: 1) "Data was collected through teacher report at pre and post intervention, and again six months later once children had transitioned into their first year of school." 2) "A further six-month follow-up (T3) occurred after children transitioned to their first year of school, known locally as Prep." Detailed Analysis: Criterion G requires that participants are followed until graduation (from the relevant educational stage) to assess long-term impacts. The paper reports follow-up into the first year of formal school ("Prep") with a six-month follow-up, which is meaningful but far short of tracking until graduation (e.g., end of primary school or later). Internet searching for later follow-up publications by the same authors tracking this cohort through graduation did not identify such a publication. Final Summary: Criterion G is not met because graduation outcomes are not tracked and no graduation follow-up paper was found.
  • P

    Pre-Registered

    • The trial was prospectively registered on ANZCTR on 30/09/2019, before child recruitment at the start of 2020.
    • "Date registered 30/09/2019"
    • Relevant Quotes: From the paper: 1) "This research employed a clustered randomized control trial with approval from the Queensland University of Technology Human Research Ethics Committee (approval number 1900000566), and is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12619001342101." 2) "At the start of 2020, 213 children commencing kindergarten at the eight centers were recruited." From the ANZCTR registry record for ACTRN12619001342101: 3) "Date registered 30/09/2019" 4) "Type of registration Prospectively registered" Detailed Analysis: Criterion P requires that the study protocol is pre-registered before data collection begins, with verifiable timing (registration date earlier than recruitment/data collection start). The paper provides the registry identifier (ACTRN12619001342101) and indicates child recruitment occurred "at the start of 2020." The ANZCTR record states the trial was "Prospectively registered" with "Date registered 30/09/2019," which is before the stated recruitment timing. Final Summary: Criterion P is met because the trial was prospectively registered on 30/09/2019 before recruitment began in early 2020.