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Using Cholesky Decomposition to Explore Individual Differences in Longitudinal Relations between Reading Skills
Published on: September 17, 2019
The relationship between cognitive and reading skills in typically developing pre-primary school children
Özden Erkan Oğul1,2, Fatma Aydın3, Gülsüm Uzer3
1Department of Ergotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, Türkiye.
Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience
|July 16, 2026
Summary
Working memory significantly predicts reading comprehension in young children. Early educational programs incorporating working memory training can enhance reading skills and academic success.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Educational Psychology
- Cognitive Neuroscience
Background:
- Early academic success is influenced by a complex interplay of cognitive abilities.
- Understanding the predictive relationship between baseline cognitive skills and later reading performance is crucial for targeted interventions.
- Pre-primary school children's cognitive development lays the foundation for essential literacy skills.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prospective relationship between cognitive abilities and reading skills (speed and comprehension) in pre-primary children.
- To determine the predictive value of baseline cognitive abilities for subsequent reading performance.
- To identify key cognitive factors influencing reading comprehension development.
Main Methods:
- Fifty-four typically developing pre-primary children participated.
- Cognitive abilities (attention, working memory, executive functions, visual perception) were assessed using standardized neuropsychological tests and parent questionnaires.
- Reading speed and comprehension were evaluated at the end of the academic year.
Main Results:
- Visuoperceptual skills and executive functions were significantly correlated with reading speed (Words per minute and total reading time).
- Working memory, executive functions, and visuoperceptual skills showed significant correlations with reading comprehension.
- Working memory accounted for 23% of the variance in reading comprehension scores, indicating its substantial predictive role.
Conclusions:
- Working memory emerges as a key cognitive factor underpinning reading comprehension in early childhood.
- Integrating working memory training into early educational programs may significantly enhance reading comprehension.
- Improving working memory can indirectly contribute to overall academic success in pre-primary school children.
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