<![CDATA[Symbolic thinking and problem-solving are important components of early childhood learning and school readiness. This preliminary, single-site quasi-experimental study evaluated an error-based symbolic learning intervention called the Symbolic Error Lab. Participants were 50 children aged 5–6 years from two intact classes at Aisyiyah Bustanul Athfal 1 Bebekan Kindergarten, Indonesia. One class received the intervention (n = 25), while the other received the school’s regular instruction (n = 25). The intervention comprised eight sessions conducted over four weeks. Symbolic thinking and problem-solving skills were measured at pretest and posttest using a symbolic thinking assessment and a structured observation rubric. The primary analysis compared pretest-to-posttest gain scores between the two classes. At pretest, the mean symbolic thinking scores were 2.22 in the intervention class and 2.18 in the comparison class, whereas the corresponding problem-solving scores were 2.20 and 2.16. The intervention class demonstrated larger mean gain scores than the comparison class in symbolic thinking (0.87 vs. 0.38) and problem-solving skills (0.82 vs. 0.39). However, evidence supporting the instruments was limited to content judgments from four assessors and internal consistency estimates; construct validity, criterion-related validity, factor structure, and inter-rater reliability were not examined. Furthermore, because each condition comprised only one intact class, instructional condition was confounded with class membership. Consequently, the observed differences may also reflect teacher, classroom, peer-interaction, novelty, or assessment-alignment effects. These findings provide preliminary evidence of differences in symbolic thinking and problem-solving gain scores between two specific classes rather than definitive evidence of a causal intervention effect or its underlying mechanisms. Replication across multiple classrooms using cluster-sensitive analyses and stronger measurement procedures is required.]]>
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