From Play to Concentration: The Effect of Digital Educational Games on Preschool Children’s Attention Skills

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of a digital educational game application on the attention skills of 5-6-year-old children. The research, planned with a quasi-experimental design and pre-test post-test control groups, measured children's attention skills using the ‘Concentration Test for Five-Year-Old Children’ (Frankfurter Test Für Funjahrige Konzentration–FTF-K). The study used the MentalUp application, a digital educational game designed to improve the attention skills of preschool children. Sixteen different types of mini-games supporting 13 different attention skills were included in the study. A total of 40 children aged 5-6 years were divided into two groups based on gender. The preschool children were instructed to complete the application in a quiet classroom environment following a pre-post-test design. The results indicated that the digital educational game application significantly improved the children's attention skills. While there was no significant change from pre- to post-test scores for the control group, the attention skills of the children in the experimental group were positively affected. The findings extend the current knowledge on attention skills in preschool children, highlighting the necessity of incorporating digital educational games into classroom practices to support attention skills at an early age. This study also provides valid evidence for the dissemination of digital educational games among preschool children.