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How executive functions contribute to reading comprehension.

Suzan Nouwens1, Margriet A Groen2,3, Tijs Kleemans2

  • 1University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

The British Journal of Educational Psychology
|May 23, 2020
PubMed
Summary

Executive functions like working memory and planning directly impact reading comprehension in fifth graders. These cognitive skills, along with inhibition, also indirectly support reading through improved decoding abilities.

Keywords:
executive functionsprimary educationreading comprehension developmentsimple view of readingstructural equation modelling

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Educational Psychology

Background:

  • Executive functions are theorized to explain reading comprehension variance beyond decoding and language skills.
  • Limited research exists on the direct and indirect impacts of multiple executive functions on reading comprehension in elementary students.
  • This study addresses the gap by examining executive functions' influence on reading comprehension in fifth grade.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the direct and indirect effects of fourth-grade executive functions on fifth-grade reading comprehension.
  • To account for the influence of decoding and language skills in this relationship.
  • To examine the roles of working memory, inhibition, and planning.

Main Methods:

  • 113 fourth-grade children (mean age 9.89 years) participated in the study.
  • Participants were assessed on executive functions (working memory, inhibition, planning), decoding, language skills (vocabulary, syntax), and reading comprehension.
  • Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Main Results:

  • Working memory and planning showed direct positive effects on fifth-grade reading comprehension.
  • Working memory and inhibition demonstrated indirect effects on reading comprehension through decoding skills.
  • Structural equation modeling confirmed these direct and indirect pathways.

Conclusions:

  • Executive functions significantly contribute to reading comprehension, even after controlling for decoding and language skills.
  • Working memory and planning are uniquely important for reading comprehension.
  • Working memory and inhibition also enhance decoding skills, underscoring the interconnectedness of cognitive abilities in reading development.