Effect of Child-Centered Play Therapy on Performance Anxiety and Academic Achievement

Abstract

This study of normal functioning first graders examined the effectiveness of child-centered play therapy (CCPT) on performance anxiety and academic achievement. The experimental group received biweekly, 30-minute play therapy sessions for eight weeks. Findings indicated that the first grade students participating in this study (n = 29) demonstrated a statistically significant increase on the Early Achievement Composite of the Young Children’s Achievement Test (Hresko, Peak, Herron, & Bridges, 2000) when compared with children in the waitlist control group (n = 30). No significant difference was found for the Woodcock Johnson III Total Brief Achievement between groups. Additional findings of the analysis indicated that from pretest to posttest the play therapy (PT) group and the waitlist control (WC) group scored statically significantly lower mean scores on the performance anxiety cluster of the Revised Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale, Second Edition (Reynolds & Richmond, 2008). Results support the use of CCPT as an intervention for academic achievement.