Mediated learning for preschoolers with developmental delay

Think Bright is an early intervention program using mediated learning to enhance the cognitive functioning of children with developmental delay. Keung and colleagues conducted a randomized control trial to investigate the effect of the program on Hong Kong preschoolers with developmental delay. The intervention included training activities that focused on three aspects of thinking skills: analogical thinking, sequential thinking, and logical reasoning.

In contrast to teacher-centred direct teaching, mediated learning is a recurring four-step process of “Explore-Try-Mediate-Conclude.” In the process, teachers used mediation skills to facilitate and guide the child to perform the learning task by encouraging the child to think aloud and verbalize his/her approaches and findings. Hence, the researchers hypothesized that mediated learning not only improves thinking skills but also language skills.

A total of 68 preschoolers (48 boys, 20 girls, mean age = 58 months) with cognitive and/or language delay were recruited from 15 rehabilitation service centres in Hong Kong. Participants were randomly allocated to the intervention group (n=34) or the control group (n=34).

The experimental group received twelve 60-min sessions of one-on-one cognitive training (Think Bright) over 6 months, while the control group received 12 individual sessions of regular training during this period.