The Role of Executive Function in Reading Development and Reading Intervention

Abstract

The current review of the role of executive function (EF) in reading provides a brief summary of analyses with a large‐scale longitudinal dataset and a meta‐analysis, along with proposing a framework for designing EF training studies. The 1st study, based on latent growth models with structured residuals, demonstrated a longitudinal reciprocal relation between reading and EF in Grades 2–5, but only for high‐performing students and not for the general population sample or those with reading difficulties. The 2nd study, based on meta‐profiling analysis and meta‐analytical structural equation modeling of 378 studies, showed unique contributions of EF to reading difficulties after controlling for language skills and suggested a reading difficulty‐EF deficit vicious cycle with development. The 3rd component of this review describes a framework for a domain‐specific approach to intervention. Based on the findings of these studies, I propose that working memory training tasks should closely link the central executive (attentional control) with the use of long‐term memory through retrieval practice in a specific academic domain, and training tasks should promote strategy use that can be effectively applied (i.e., transferred) to different academic tasks.

Executive Function, Academic Skills, and Learning Disabilities: Integrative Commentary

“…This is particularly true for domains in which children must learn new symbolic representations that integrate information across modalities (early reading and math) and those that combine information across levels (reading comprehension and math word problems). Indeed, there is a substantial body of literature linking EFs to reading (Peng, 2023; Butterfuss & Kendeou, 2018; Ober, Brooks, Homer, & Rindskopf, 2020) and math (Peng, Namkung, Barnes, & Sun, 2016) performance. Despite these established relationships, there has been considerable debate over the role of EFs in academic skills with both researchers and practitioners noting that EFs are not well‐specified enough.…”

Reaching Students with Reading Disabilities During the Summer

“…Word-level (untimed) skills tend to improve most rapidly, and fluency and comprehension skills more gradually (Donnelly et al, 2019). Self-regulation, here encompassing executive function and socioemotional skills, are likewise recognized as important elements for reading success (Peng, 2023). Children also show differential instructional needs based on their strengths and challenges; research with first graders showed that students with lower decoding skill benefited from teacher-managed explicit decoding instruction, while children with higher vocabulary scores benefited from independent child-managed reading and writing activities (Connor et al, 2004).…”