Effects of a School-Based Mindfulness Program on school readiness in preschool children: a mixed-methods study of researcher-led and teacher-led implementation.

BACKGROUND: School readiness depends not only on early academic skills but also on the development of attention, emotional regulation, and self-regulatory competencies in early childhood. However, empirical evidence for theoretically grounded mindfulness programs and their implementation by both researchers and teachers in preschool settings remains limited. This study examined the effectiveness and feasibility of a flow theory–aligned School-Based Mindfulness Program (SBMP). METHODS: A quasi-experimental embedded mixed-methods design was employed with 71 preschool children assigned to Researcher-Led (n = 23), Teacher-Led (n = 26), and Control (n = 22) groups to enable comparison across implementation conditions. The School Readiness Assessment Tool (SRAT) Child Form was administered at pretest, posttest, and follow-up, and the Parent Form at pretest and posttest. The eight-week SBMP included 24 structured sessions targeting attention, emotion regulation, self-awareness, and self-compassion. The program was aligned with flow theory principles; however, flow states were not directly measured. Quantitative data were analyzed using mixed-design ANOVA and ANCOVA, and qualitative data were analyzed thematically. RESULTS: A significant Group × Time interaction was found (ηp2 = .342), indicating greater improvements in both intervention groups compared to the control group, with sustained effects at follow-up. Parent-reported outcomes also favored the intervention groups (ηp2 = .791), although this finding should be interpreted with caution. Qualitative findings supported improvements in attention, emotion regulation, and home transfer. Implementation fidelity was high across conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The SBMP appears to support school readiness and can be implemented by teachers with high fidelity under structured training and monitoring conditions. Findings are consistent with flow theory principles; however, interpretations regarding underlying mechanisms should be made with caution. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT07501091. Retrospectively registered on March 27, 2026.