Rights statement: This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Nouwens, S., Groen, M.A., Kleemans, T. and Verhoeven, L. (2021), How executive functions contribute to reading comprehension. Br J Educ Psychol, 91: 169-192 e12355. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12355 which has been published in final form at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/bjep.12355 This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance With Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving.
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Final published version
Licence: CC BY-NC: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - How Executive Functions contribute to Reading Comprehension
AU - Nouwens, Suzan
AU - Groen, Margriet
AU - Kleemans, Tijs
AU - Verhoeven, Ludo
N1 - This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Nouwens, S., Groen, M.A., Kleemans, T. and Verhoeven, L. (2021), How executive functions contribute to reading comprehension. Br J Educ Psychol, 91: 169-192 e12355. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12355 which has been published in final form at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/bjep.12355 This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance With Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving.
PY - 2021/3/31
Y1 - 2021/3/31
N2 - BackgroundExecutive functions have been proposed to account for individual variation in reading comprehension beyond the contributions of decoding skills and language skills. However, insight into the direct and indirect effects of multiple executive functions on fifth‐grade reading comprehension, while accounting for decoding and language skills, is limited.AimThe present study investigated the direct and indirect effects of fourth‐grade executive functions (i.e., working memory, inhibition, and planning) on fifth‐grade reading comprehension, after accounting for decoding and language skills.SampleThe sample included 113 fourth‐grade children (including 65 boys and 48 girls; Age M = 9.89; SD = .44 years).MethodsThe participants were tested on their executive functions (working memory, inhibition and planning), and their decoding skills, language skills (vocabulary and syntax knowledge) and reading comprehension, one year later.ResultsUsing structural equation modelling, the results indicated direct effects of working memory and planning on reading comprehension, as well as indirect effects of working memory and inhibition via decoding (χ2 = 2.46).ConclusionsThe results of the present study highlight the importance of executive functions for reading comprehension after taking variance in decoding and language skills into account: Both working memory and planning uniquely contributed to reading comprehension. In addition, working memory and inhibition also supported decoding. As a practical implication, educational professionals should not only consider the decoding and language skills children bring into the classroom, but their executive functions as well.
AB - BackgroundExecutive functions have been proposed to account for individual variation in reading comprehension beyond the contributions of decoding skills and language skills. However, insight into the direct and indirect effects of multiple executive functions on fifth‐grade reading comprehension, while accounting for decoding and language skills, is limited.AimThe present study investigated the direct and indirect effects of fourth‐grade executive functions (i.e., working memory, inhibition, and planning) on fifth‐grade reading comprehension, after accounting for decoding and language skills.SampleThe sample included 113 fourth‐grade children (including 65 boys and 48 girls; Age M = 9.89; SD = .44 years).MethodsThe participants were tested on their executive functions (working memory, inhibition and planning), and their decoding skills, language skills (vocabulary and syntax knowledge) and reading comprehension, one year later.ResultsUsing structural equation modelling, the results indicated direct effects of working memory and planning on reading comprehension, as well as indirect effects of working memory and inhibition via decoding (χ2 = 2.46).ConclusionsThe results of the present study highlight the importance of executive functions for reading comprehension after taking variance in decoding and language skills into account: Both working memory and planning uniquely contributed to reading comprehension. In addition, working memory and inhibition also supported decoding. As a practical implication, educational professionals should not only consider the decoding and language skills children bring into the classroom, but their executive functions as well.
KW - executive functions
KW - primary education
KW - reading comprehension development
KW - simple view of reading
KW - structural equation modelling
U2 - 10.1111/bjep.12355
DO - 10.1111/bjep.12355
M3 - Journal article
VL - 91
SP - 169
EP - 192
JO - British Journal of Educational Psychology
JF - British Journal of Educational Psychology
SN - 0007-0998
IS - 1
ER -