Rhythmic Training as Applied Social Intervention in Low-Income Preschool Settings

This study examines a culturally grounded rhythmic intervention as an applied social science strategy to strengthen sustained attention in preschool children from low-income communities in Barranquilla, Colombia. Guided by neural entrainment theory and principles of scholar activism, a 10-week percussion program using Caribbean instruments was implemented in partnership with a public preschool serving marginalized families. A quasi-experimental design with 38 four-year-olds compared structured rhythmic training with passive music exposure. Sustained attention was assessed through standardized behavioral observation at pretest and posttest. Children in the experimental group showed significantly greater gains, with a large effect size ( d = 1.04). Findings demonstrate that culturally rooted, low-cost interventions can promote developmental equity and advance socially engaged research in early childhood education.