Differential Contributions of Executive Function and Motor Proficiency to Preschoolers' Reading Competence

Chang, M. (Mei)¹, , , ,
¹University of North Texas, USA

 

Submission type

Oral only

Scheduled

Room 117, 12-07-2019, 09:00 - 10:30

Keywords

Executive Function, Motor Skills, Reading Competence, Early Childhood

Summary

 

Research suggested reading achievement of school-aged children varied with executive function (EF) levels, while others suggested associations between reading achievement and fundamental motor skills (FMS). Studies simultaneously investigating contributions of EF and FMS to reading outcomes of young children is underrepresented.  It is unclear which of these contributors exerts a larger influence on reading competence in preschool-aged children.  This study investigated “When EF and FMS are discordant, which has larger effects on reading competence in kindergarteners?”  Participants were 171 five-year-old kindergarteners of diverse races.  Results of ANOVA showed that kindergarteners demonstrating stronger EF than motor skills significantly outperformed those with weaker EF than motor skills by 16.17 points on the reading scores, F(1, 169)=14.33, p=.001, ɳ2=.08.  Group membership accounts for 8% of the variances in reading performance.  The finding implies EF exerts a greater impact on young children’s development of reading competency than does FMS.  Since EF deficits are linked to children with learning disabilities, the effect size may also suggest practical significance and implications for clinical subjects.  When school resources are scarce, the finding provides evidence to support prioritized screening on EF skills upon school entrance for risk factors of later academic problems and identifying needs for early interventions.

 

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