Impulse Control in Elementary Children

Impulse Control in Elementary Children:

A mindfulness-based small group intervention
Kagan Young
Portland State University

Impulse Control in Elementary Children

Abstract
This study examined the use of a mindfulness based small group intervention as a method of
increasing elementary students impulse control. Third grade students participated in a six-week
small group intervention adapted from the MindUP classroom guidance curriculum. The results
of this study indicated that students who participated in this small group exhibited an increase in
their levels of impulse control. These results were acquired through a pre and post assessment,
completed by classroom teachers, and suggested a change in teacher perception of student
behavior in the classroom after completion of the group. This study found that a mindfulness
based small group intervention has the potential to increase teacher perception of student
behavior in the classroom.

Impulse Control in Elementary Children

One of the integral components of the Masters in School Counseling Program at Portland
State University is the yearlong internship during the third and final year. This internship places
students at various schools and at various grade levels to gain an in-depth understanding of the
role and responsibilities of a Professional School Counselor. One critical aspect of this internship
experience is the implementation of an action research project (ARP). Brydon-Miller,
Greenwood & Maguire (2003) look to the process of action research as one of collaboration,
engagement and respect for those involved. Action research seeks to ask questions, offer ideas
and adjust to the needs of the participants as required. Brydon-Miller, Greenwood & Maguire
(2003) define it well, stating, knowledge comes from doing (p. 14). Building on the idea of
learning through action, this researcher began the process of implementing an action research
project at Earl Boyles Elementary School in David Douglas School District.
Prior to investigating the topic of this ARP, it is important to set some context. At the
beginning of the internship placement, a brief needs assessment was distributed to the
kindergarten through 5th grade teaching staff at the school. This needs assessment asked the
following questions:
1. Grade level taught
2. Number of years teaching
3. What do you see as the greatest social/emotional barriers to student achievement in your
classroom?
4. From the following topics, please select one that you feel challenges students the most at
Earl Boyles: Anxiety, Emotional Awareness/Anger Management, Impulse Control, other.
5. What tools/information do you need to better support students socially and emotionally in
the classroom?
This needs assessment was developed in cooperation with Christine McHone, Licensed School
Counselor at Earl Boyles Elementary. Prior to sharing this needs assessment, the researcher

Impulse Control in Elementary Children

consulted with the building principal, Ericka Guynes as well to gain permission for it to be
distributed.
After sharing the needs assessment with the K-5 teaching staff at Earl Boyles, it was
immediately apparent that there were common perceptions and needs among the staff. Out of the
16 staff members who responded, 12 identified impulse control as the primary challenge for their
students. After the responses were recorded, the next step was to determine where to focus the
research, whether it was school-wide, one grade level, or in one classroom. After additional
consultation with Christine McHone, it was determined that third grade was the grade level that
might benefit from focused support. Next, an email was sent to the third grade team, which
consists of Heidi Buckner, Linda Long and Nicole Rauch, asking them to provide a list of the
students they felt struggled the most with impulse control in their classrooms.
This study did not seek to investigate impulse control as its focus. This study sought to
define impulse control and investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness based small group
interventions on students ability to exhibit impulse control in the classroom. It was expected that
a mindfulness-based training would improve the identified students self control in the classroom
setting as identified by their classroom teacher. Based on previous research on the effectiveness
of mindfulness based school interventions, it was believed that mindfulness training could have a
positive impact on students ability to exhibit better self control in the classroom, and in turn
improve their social/emotional and academic success.
Literature Review
Prior to investigating the intervention used in this ARP, it is important to first define and
explore the idea of impulse control, and why it is important within a school setting and
throughout life. A working definition of impulse control is critical to the understanding of this

Impulse Control in Elementary Children

ARP. While the term impulse control is widely used in the school setting, research refers to the
topic as self control (Duckworth, Gendler & Gross, 2014), executive function (Diamond & Lee,
2011) and self-regulation (PerzMiano et al. 2016, Neuenschwander et al. 2012). While there
are additional terms used to understand impulse control, the preceding provides useful
descriptive language on the topic.
Elementary age children are challenged to develop self-control from a young age.
Duckworth, Gendler & Gross (2014) provide a useful definition of self-control, suggesting that it
is the voluntary regulation of attentional, emotional, and behavioral impulses when
immediate temptations conflict with more enduringly valued goals (p. 200). Consider the
process of lining up for recess as an example. The goal of waiting and walking in an orderly
fashion is prioritized over the impulse to run out the door to recess. This highlights the
importance of impulse control within the school setting. If children are able to monitor and react
appropriately, then it is likely that they will be more receptive to instruction.
Diamond & Lee (2011) look at executive function as the cognitive control functions
needed when you have to concentrate and think, when acting on your initial impulse might be illadvised (p. 959). The example of a preschool student on their first day highlights this
developmental process. The new student might react to another student taking their toy by
yelling, hitting, crying or any number of other responses. The older student who has had time to
develop their cognitive processes might be able to stop, think and weigh their response options in
this situation.
Neuenschwander et al. (2012), provide useful discussion on the topic of self-regulation.
The authors look at self-regulation as the process of integrating our emotional responses with our
cognitive abilities. Similar to the example of the preschool student and the older student above,

Impulse Control in Elementary Children

this integration is a process that takes place as part of child development, as well as
environmental influences.
A childs ability to integrate and control their emotions and impulses, as well as focus in
the classroom, can set the stage for a students success in school. Both relational success with
teachers and peers, as well as academic success are assumed to be the result of a students ability
to exhibit effective self-control (Neuenschwander et al. 2012).
Through discussions with the third grade teaching team it was made clear that the
students they had identified were struggling with their ability to exhibit self-control and as a
result they were suffering academically. Now that we have developed a deeper understanding of
the concept of impulse control, and why it is important for elementary age children, we may
begin to investigate the intervention strategy utilized in this ARP.
Mindfulness-based trainings for children are largely acknowledged as a helpful tool to
support adults and children. While there is extensive research on the effectiveness of mindfulness
with adults, there is less on its effectiveness with children and adolescence. Recent research by
Harnett & Dawe (2012) expands on work by Burke (2009), which looked at fifteen different
studies of mindfulness-based interventions and their use with children. Through their research
they determined that mindfulness based interventions for children can be one helpful component
that influences their ability to be successful academically and socially.
Burkes (201009) work related to mindfulness found that there is a general consensus
supporting the use of mindfulness with children and adolescents. Her research also suggests that
while there exists a strong supportive base for its use, there is limited research in the way of
long-term analytical studies. From this generalized research on mindfulness training with

Impulse Control in Elementary Children

children, it is important to also investigate how it connects directly with focus of this research,
impulse control.
Research by Black & Fernando (2013) looked at the effectiveness of mindfulness training
within low SES students at an elementary school in California. The authors found that teachers
reported students had improved their self-control and ability to pay attention after participating in
a five-week mindfulness based curriculum. While this research provides teacher reports of
improvement in the classroom, the authors are quick to point out that there is limited room for
application of the data due to the absence of control groups focused on mindfulness training for
children. One important thing to take away from this study is the fact that the teachers reported
an improvement in general classroom behavior. This has the potential to build a healthy, positive
classroom environment for all students.
While not all students who exhibit low impulse control are diagnosed with Attention
Deficit/ Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), adults may consciously or subconsciously apply these
labels. Research by Carboni, Roach & Fredrick (2013) investigated the use of a mindfulnessbased training with students identified as ADHD. Carboni, Rauch & Fredrick (2013) determined
that mindfulness training for children increased their ability to remain on task in the classroom.
While this research was focused on children with ADHD, the authors also generalize their
findings and suggest that mindfulness based training can be effective with other students as well.
In addition to improving students ability to pay attention and manage their impulses in
the classroom, mindfulness has also been suggested to help with stress levels among elementary
students. Van de Weijer-Bergsma et al. (2014) looked at a classroom wide mindfulness based
intervention and its effect on student stress levels. They looked at whether mindfulness training
can be incorporated at class wide level and how different students would benefit from it. They

Impulse Control in Elementary Children

ultimately found that while students are affected in different ways though the implementation of
a mindfulness-training program, the class as a whole will benefit from its introduction and use.
While there are varying definitions of impulse control, it is clear that a deficit in a childs
level of impulse control can have a negative impact on their learning and academic success.
After reviewing some of the existing research related to impulse control and mindfulness, it
appears that there is evidence supporting the use of mindfulness-based interventions for students
struggling with impulse control at the elementary level.
Method
The longitudinal study conducted included a 6-week small group intervention for thirdr
3rd grade students identified as struggling with impulse control. This group intervention utilized
the MindUp curriculum, developed by the Hawn Foundation. Additional information from the
Hawn Foundation website:
MindUP is a research-based training program for educators and children. This program
is composed of 15 lessons based in neuroscience. Students learn to self-regulate behavior
and mindfully engage in focused concentration required for academic success. MindUP
lessons align with all state standards including Common Core and support improved
academic performance while enhancing perspective taking, empathy and kindness as well
as fostering complex problem solving skills. (MindUp, The Hawn Foundation. Retrieved
May 14, 2016 from http://thehawnfoundation.org/mindup/).

Participants
77% of the population of Earl Boyles participates in the Free and Reduced Lunch
program. The original sample size of students included seven 3rd grade students ranging in age
from 8-9 years old. The sample size was made up of largely male participants, with only one
student identified as female. The group was racially diverse, and was made up of one1 AfricanAmerican student, one1 Vietnamese student, one 1 student self- identified as Asian, one 1

Impulse Control in Elementary Children

Latino/Hispanic student, and three3 students identified as white. Two of the students first learned
a language other than English and the remaining five were native English speakers. All students
used English as their primary language of communication. The majority of the students were also
identified as students of concern during school wide Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports
(PBIS) meetings. While the results of this study may prove to be useful for Earl Boyles
Elementary, due to the relatively small sample size, it is unlikely that the results can be
generalized beyond this setting.
Materials
The sample size was selected through the administration of a school wide needs
assessment as well as individual staff and teacher interviews. The needs assessment was
conducted online through the use of Google Forms, and the interviews and questions
occurredwere conducted by though e-mail and in person. The original sample size identified
included ten individual students. The final sample size included seven students. One student
moved towards the beginning of the small group, and two others declined to participate or did
not submit permission slips to participate. The Portland State Institutional Review Board granted
approval for this research prior to beginning the ARP.
Data for this research was collected through pre and post assessments for both the
students participating as well as their classroom teachers. Teacher observation and reports were
also used to evaluate perceived effectiveness of the intervention. A team of David Douglas
District Elementary Counselors developed the pre and post assessments used in this research.
This team included Earl Boyles Counselor, Christine McHone, Gilbert Heights Counselor, Susan
Hughes, Lincoln Park Counselor, Hannah Snyder, West Powellhurst Counselor, Megan Chartier
and Cherry Park Counselor, Jessica Polledri. These surveys were developed as part of the

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10

counselors Positive Learning Community (PLC) group that met throughout the school year. The
purpose of these surveys was to develop small group assessments that could be used in various
small group settings with only minor adjustments.
The Teacher Perspective Survey consisted of three questions on a Likert-type scale.
These questions asked the following (please refer to the appendix A for an example of the
Teacher Perspective Survey):
1. How do you feel about this students ability to control their body?
2. How often does this students lagging impulse control skills have a negative impact
on his or her ability to attend to instruction?
3. How often does this students lagging impulse control skills have a negative impact
on the classroom environment?
The scale for question number one1 ranged from 1-5. Level one1 was identified as student does
not dso this, level two2 was student rarely does this, level three3 was student can do this
some of the time, level four4 was student can do this a lot of the time, and level five5 was
student can do this most of the time. For question number two2 and three3 the numeric scale
was the same however level one1 was described as several times a day, level two2 as daily,
level three3 as several times a week, level four4 as once a week, and level five5 as less than
once a week.
The second assessment consisted of four questions directed at the students participating
in the intervention. The survey developed in the PLC group was general and allowed for topics
to be filled in. Please refer to appendix B for an example of the student survey. For this research,
the questions on this survey were:
1. How many ways can you tell me to keep your body calm?
2. How are you feeling about your ability to control your impulses?
3. I believe in myself

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4. I understand why impulse control is important.

Question number one1 on this survey was a blank space where students were instructed
to write or draw what they knew. Questions two2 and three3 used a Likert-type scale where each
response was written out and included a corresponding representative image. The images ranged
from a sad face with a thumbs down at the low end of the scale, up to a smiley face with a
thumbs up at the high end of the scale. The final question provided students with an option of
selecting yes, no or I think so. If they selected yes or I think so then they were asked
to write down why in an adjacent text box on the paper (pPlease refer to the appendix for an
example of the student survey).
Procedure
The intention of this small group was to increase each students ability to be present in
the moment and notice their bodys reaction to certain stimuli. The small group was scheduled to
meet for six weeks with each group meeting lasting thirty minutes. At the first of six group
meetings, participants were given the pre-test and asked to complete it to the best of their ability.
Teachers were also given the pre-test and asked to complete it. After completion of the pre-test,
students were asked to do introductions, develop group norms and rules, and brainstorm around
the question, What is mindfulness?
On the second group meeting, students were introduced to the brain and the areas within
it that the MindUP curriculum focuses on, the Amygdala, Hippocampus and Prefrontal cortex.
These areas were explored and connected with the word mindfulness. Each part of the brain
was introduced and discussed. MindUP also provides student focused terms for these parts of the
brain. The Amygdala is referred to as the security guard, the Hippocampus as the Scrapbook,
and the Prefrontal Cortex as the Wise leader. Through the use of matching worksheets

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12

(adopted from MindUP curriculum) and discussion the students identified which part of the brain
was responsible for different things.
During the second meeting, students were also introduced to the Core Practice, as it is
referred to in the MindUP curriculum. The Core Practice consists of focusing on the sound of a
chime or bell and listening as closely as possible for as long as it can be heard. Then, after
students cannot hear the sound any more, they are asked to focus on their breathing. The students
were instructed that the practice of focusing on the bell and their breathing would allow their
security guard to be calm so that their wise leader could operate effectively. This core
practice was completed at each subsequent group meeting throughout the course of the group.
For the third group meeting the group continued to work on mindful listening, with an
activity that asked them to listen to a variety of sounds with their eyes closed. Four distinct
sounds were produced, with the source hidden from sight. The sounds were the crumpling of
paper, coins shaking in a jar, the shuffling of a deck of cards, and a pencil tapping on the desk.
The students were then asked to share what the sound had reminded them of and if they had a
prediction for what it might be. After revealing what the objects were, students participated in a
discussion about how listening closely is being mindful, and how by paying attention to what we
hear, we can have more control over our thoughts and actions.
The fourth week included a mindful smelling activity where students were asked to smell
four different containers with a cotton ball in them. Each cotton ball had a different scent; fresh
lime, cinnamon, coffee, and peanut butter (students were asked prior to this meeting if they had
any food allergies). After smelling each mystery scent, students were given the opportunity to
share what they noticed about the scent, and connect the scent to something in their own life if
they desired. For example, one student shared that he recognized the smell of coffee because his

Impulse Control in Elementary Children

13

mother would prepare coffee every morning). Students then discussed how focusing their sense
of smell can helphelpss them to also focus their attention and notice what is happening around
them.
The fifth week consisted of a mindful movement activity where students were introduced
to their heart rates, and asked to count their resting heart rate and compare it to their active heart
rate after one minute of exercise. During the exercise activity students were asked to notice how
their bodies felt and what happened to their breathing. Immediately after the exercise, students
found their pulse and counted their heart rate for a time period. Students then were presented
with the idea that our mind and body work together. When we are feeling nervous or anxious
about something, our body might feel tense or we might have a stomachache. The practice of
elevating their heart rate through exercise and monitoring it as it slowed allowed them to focus
on their body and the signals it gave them when active and when at rest.
The sixth and final week of the group included a refresher on the parts of the brain that
are connected with mindfulness, and a discussion on why it is important for impulse control in
the classroom and beyond. This began with a review of the MindUP poster that displays the parts
of the brain, and was followed by a role-play activity where the students were asked to use a
calming strategy that they had learned to refocus their attention. Students also were given calm
down bottles, made by the researcher, and which had been briefly introduced at the beginning of
the group. The students were informed that the calm down bottles were another tool they could
use to help control their impulses in the classroom. Finally, the students completed the post-test
for the intervention.
The following two-weeks after the intervention, the researcher met briefly with the
students to go over classroom expectations for the calm down bottles and to complete a role play

Impulse Control in Elementary Children

14

with the classroom teachers regarding their use. At that point, the students were able to utilize the
calm down bottles when they noticed they needed a break in the classroom or when the teacher
noticed they needed one. After the bottles had been in use in the classroom for two weeks, the
teachers were also asked whether they were supportive of the students learning and whether they
were being used appropriately in the classroom.
Results
Pre and post assessment data comparisons for the student survey indicated that some of
the students showed positive growth in the area of impulse control knowledge. For the first
questionow many ways can you tell me to keep your body calm?For question one of the student
survey, two students were able to provide more complete descriptions of the methods they knew
to keep their body calm. For question two on the survey, the second question, How are you
feeling about your ability to control your impulses?two students went from a three3 to a four4 on
the likert scale (with five5 stating that all of the time I can do this) in their ability to control their
impulses.
The third question asked whether or not students believed in themselves. One student
improved from a four4 to a five5 on the likert scale for this question. The final question asked
whether or not students understood why impulse control is important. Two students made growth
in this area, answering yes, and providing an explanation. One student stated, Their
explanations were as follows, Sso you can control your body. A second student commented,
, as well as another student who reported, I think so, to focus on work. While there were
only two students who completed the post assessment, they both improved their ability to
articulate why impulse control was important after participation in this group.

Impulse Control in Elementary Children

15

Conclusion
Pre and post assessments from the classroom teachers indicated that five of the
original seven students in the group had made positive growth towards improving their impulse
control in the classroom. On question one of the teacher survey,
teachersThe first question asked teachers, how do you feel about this students
ability to control their body? Teachers reported that three of the seven students improved their
ability to control their bodyin this area. On question two of the teacher survey, teachers identified
that fThe second question asked teachers, how often does this students lagging impulse control
skills have a negative impact on his or her ability to attend to instruction? Five of the seven
students included were identified as having improved in this areaimproved their ability to attend
to instruction. On tThe final question , teachers reported asked, how often does this students
lagging impulse control skills have a negative impact on the classroom environment?that f Four
out of of the seven students were identified as having decreased in this areadecreased their
impulsiveness in the classroom, which in turn had a positive effect on classroom environment.
. To summarize the teacher perspective survey results, five 5 of the original seven7
students exhibited an improvement in their ability to control impulses, attend to instruction and
limit their impact on negatively affecting the classroom environment. The following charts
highlight the pre and post assessment data from the classroom teachers. Graph A below
highlights the change from pre and post assessment.The graphs below visually represent the pre
and post assessment data as well as the comparison of the average score for pre and post
assessments.
The green bars on the graph represent the data from the pre test and the blue bars on the
graph represent the data from the post assessment.An average of each individual teacher

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16

response to the pre and post assessment shows that after the group implementation, there was a
twenty five percent increase in teacher perception of student impulse control. Teacher reports
also showed a seventy three percent increase in teacher perception of how often student
impulsiveness negatively affected attention to instruction. Finally, teacher reports show a thirty
percent decrease in the amount of time that the students impulsivity negatively impacted the
classroom environment.

Chart A: Teacher Pre Assessment Results by Student

Student
A
B
C
D
E
F
Avg. Score

Question 1
3
3
3
3
3
2
2.8

Question 2
1
2
2
1
2
1
1.5

Question 3
2
2
3
2
2
1
2

Chart B: Teacher Post Assessment Results by Student

Student
A
B
C
D
E
F
Avg. Score
Student
A
B
C
D
E
F

Question 1
3
4
3
3
4
4
3.5
Question 1
3
4
3
3
4
4

Question 2
2
3
2
2
3
4
2.6
Question 2

Question 3
4
3
2
1
3
3
2.6
Question 3
2
3
2
2
3
4

4
3
2
1
3
3

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Pre Assessment
4
3
Numeric Response

2
1

3
2

3
22

22

Question 1

2
11

0
A

Student

Question 2
Question 3

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18

Post Assessment
5
4

4
3
Numeric Response

4
33

44
33

22

Question 2

Question 3

Question 1

0
A

Student

Pre and Post Assessment Average Comparison

Score

4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0

3.5
2.83

2.66

2.66
2

1.5

Question 1

Question 2

Pre Assesment Avg.

Post Assessment Avg.

Question 3

Discussion
This study was conducted to research the effectiveness of a mindfulness based small
group intervention and its effect on students and teacher reported levels of impulse control within
the classroom. Data was collected from multiple sources, including teacher pre and post
assessment, student pre and post assessment, as well as individual interviews and follow up with
the third grade teaching team at Earl Boyles.

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19

The results from my teacher pre and posttest post assessment data indicated an increase in
positive reports of student behavior in the classroom. Teacher perception of the students
behavior improved for five5 of the original seven 7 students involved in the research group.
While it is possible that part of this shift in perception came from the students change in
behavior, it is important to exercise caution when making this connection. Some of the students
were receiving additional medical interventions during and after this group. It is possible that this
had an impact on the teachers shift in perception. It is also important to consider the relationship
developed between the researcher and the students when interpreting the results. Part of the shift
in behavior may have stemmed from receiving focused small group support, not just a result of
the mindfulness strategies.
The results from the student pre and post assessmentstests provided much less usable data
than did the teacher pre and post assessments. This was likely due to the fact that collecting
posttest data for the students was challenging as a result of conflicts with state testing, the
researchers schedule at the school, and student absences. Despite the limited student post
assessment data collected, the students who did complete the post assessmenttest showed some
growth in their ability to articulate why impulse control was important.
Additional important aspects to consider are the students readiness to respond to
mindfulness training, as well the trainers skill level in providing responsive mindfulness training
to elementary students. The researcher had experience working with adults doing mindfulness
activities, however it often looked very different when working with children. This proved to be
a challenging aspect of this research, balancing adherence to the MindUP curriculum while at the
same time recognizing when the students were too activated to complete the activities as

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planned. In these instances, it was important to use other strategies, such as allowing the students
to take a five-minute physical break outside as part of the group plan.
Overall, the studentss response to this group appeared to be positive. Students expressed
excitement to attend the group each week and were especially excited that they would be
receiving a calm down bottle at the end of the group. Students also appeared to enjoy the
experiential aspects of this group.
While there were aspects of the group that the students responded well to, there were also
challenges within the group. It was important to provide these students with very specific
expectations from the moment they were picked up at their classroom. The researcher would
provide three step explanations of expectations for walking in the hall, participating in the
physical activity break, and participating in the lesson for the day.
During the first group meeting it was difficult to maintain the students attention when
completing the direct oral instruction on the brain and how each part worked together. As these
two groups of students struggled with impulse control, their ability to remain focused during this
lesson was limited. Multiple students in each group also received physical activity breaks, and
believed that this group would also be a break from their normal class. While this was not
necessarily inaccurate, it does highlight the importance of integrating a structured physical break
as part of each group meeting considering that the focus is on impulse control.
For the second group meeting, students responded well to beginning the group with a
five-minute physical activity break. After the break students were very interested in listening to
the bell ring when introducing the core practice. However, it took more re-direction from the
researcher to get the students to fully complete the breathing exercise. There was a lot of
curiosity around the bell and the students all wanted to take a turn ringing it. One thing that

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21

might have increased the challenge with the direct instruction was the researchers limited
experience teaching mindfulness to young students. However, when the researcher allowed the
students some flexibility in the lessons, while maintaining the core themes of mindful awareness
and noticing, students generally responded with enthusiasm and curiosity.
The students responses to lesson number three was positive. This lesson was completed
outside on the school playground. This setting provided an environment where there were many
ambient sounds that students had to contend with when listening to the mystery sounds. Students
enjoyed this challenge and worked hard to listen as closely as possible when each new noise was
made. Students enjoyed the listening and guessing process very much, and noticed many small
details related to the noise they had heard. The process of completing this lesson on the
playground meant that the students spent a lot of time climbing on play structures and running
around. The researcher worked to follow them and find small windows when the activities could
be completed. This mix of play and brief lessons fit well with the students in the group.
Group meeting number four consisted of a mindful smelling activity, explained above in
the methods section. Students were introduced to four different scents and asked to share what
they noticed about each one. Most of the students found it amusing to smell things without
knowing what they were. This provided some humor and laughter within the group that the
students enjoyed. Students also drew many connections to the scents and their own lives, which
helped to solidify the purpose of the hippocampus in the brain. Both the mindful listening
activity and the mindful smelling activity captivated students and their attention was easily kept
throughout these lessons.
During the fifth group, students completed a mindful movement activity. One of the
important connections that students drew from this activity was the connection between their

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heart and their bodies. They all knew where their heart was, but had limited experience noticing
how their heart rate changed with physical activity. Students were also able to discuss the other
activities in their lives that affected their heart rate. This activity was one that could likely be
applied in multiple settings, as it allowed students to exert themselves physically and practice
calming back down as they counted their heart rate.
One the sixth meeting, the students received calm down/focus bottles to celebrate
completion of the group. These were very motivating for the students and they were excited to
shake them and watch the glitter slowly settle. This also helped to build a connection between
what we had been learning in the group and their classroom behavior expectations. The students
were able to do a very thorough job of coming up with situations that they could use the bottles
in class, as well as expectations for using them appropriately. This was also a good way to close
the group, as it provided the students with something they could physically hold on to as a
reminder of what they had learned.

Previous research on mindfulness training with children confirms that it can be used as
one component of a multi faceted approach to student success. While there is extensive research
highlighting the use of mindfulness with children, there is limited information regarding its use
as a small group intervention. This research suggests that a mindfulness based small group
intervention can impact teacher perception and report of students behavior in the classroom.
While this is promising, it should also be noted that this group was largely completed in isolation
of the classroom environment. In the future, iIt would be important to integrate classroom wide
strategies for mindfulness, such as with the MindUP curriculum, in order to more fully
understand its effectiveness at supporting self-regulation and impulse control.

Impulse Control in Elementary Children

23

Ultimately, the shift in teacher perception of student behavior in the classroom has the
potential to positively impact classroom environment. It also supports the conclusion by Black &
Fernando (2013), that teachers reported an improvement in classroom behavior after completion
of five weeks of mindfulness-based curriculum.
While the conclusion of thisis research does suggests that a mindfulness based small
group can be helpful in increasing impulse control in third grade students, more research is
needed to determine the long term effectiveness of this type of small group intervention in the
elementary school setting. The results obtained in this research may be due to a combination of
factors and further research is needed to better understand each separate variable. One important
area to further explore would be how this type of small group could benefit students who are
already being exposed to MindUP, or another mindfulness based curriculum, in the classroom.

THIS IS WHERE YOU GIVE AN ANALYSIS O F THE RESULTS. WHAT DO YOU INFER
FROM THE RESULTS? RELATED TO THE METHOD USED? THE MATERIALS? THE
SAMPLE GROUP? THE TIMEFRAME? THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STUDENT
PERCEPTION OF CHANGE AND TEACHER PERCEPTION OF CHANGE? ANYTHING
ELSE? YOU DISCUSS WHY YOU THINK YOU GOT THE RESULTS YOU DID.

Impulse Control in Elementary Children

24

WHAT WOULD YOU PROPOSE FOR FURTHER QUESTIONS TO EXPLORE, OR WAYS

TO DESIGN A FURTHER STUDY, ETC?

Appendix A

Teacher Perspective Survey

Student Name: _________________________

Group: ______________________

1. What skills would you like your student to work on in the area of impulse control?

2. How do you feel about this students ability to control their body?

Student does not

do this

Student rarely
does this

Student can do
this some of the
time

Student can do
this a lot of the
time

Student can do
this most of the
time

3. How often does this students lagging impulse control skills have a negative impact on his or
her ability to attend to instruction?

Impulse Control in Elementary Children

several times a
day

2
daily

several times a
week

4
once a week

25

less than once a

week

3. How often does this students lagging impulse control skills have a negative impact on the
classroom environment?

several times a
day

2
daily

several times a
week

4
once a week

less than once a

week

Appendix B

Name: _________________
1. How many ways can you tell me to keep your body calm?

2. How are you feeling about your ability to control your impulses?

I cant do this

I try but it never

works

3. I believe in myself.

Sometimes I can
do this

A lot of the time I

can do this

Most all of the

time I can do this

Impulse Control in Elementary Children

Never

I try

Sometimes

A lot of the time

4. I understand why impulse control is important.

Yes
I think so
No

If you
answered yes or I think
so, tell me why in

the box.

26

Most of the time

Impulse Control in Elementary Children

27

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28

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