Direct and Indirect Contributions of Executive Function to Word Decoding and Reading Comprehension in Kindergarten

Abstract

Extant research is increasingly recognizing the contribution of executive function (EF) to reading comprehension alongside established predictors like word decoding and oral language. The nature of the association between EF and reading comprehension is commonly investigated in older children and in those with reading impairments. However, less is known about this relationship in emerging readers in kindergarten, where word decoding and reading comprehension are highly intertwined. Moreover, a better understanding of the mechanisms by which EF influences reading comprehension is needed. The present study investigated direct contributions of EF to reading comprehension, as well as indirect contributions via word decoding in 97 kindergarteners. Results indicated that there was a significant indirect effect of EF on reading comprehension, with word decoding mediating this association. The direct contribution of EF to reading comprehension was not significant. Implications for reading instruction and intervention for early readers are discussed.

Fig. 1.

Models linking EF, word decoding, and reading comprehension. Single headed arrows indicate direct relationships and double-headed arrows indicate covariance or correlation.

Fig. 2.

Path analytic model examining direct and indirect effects of EF on reading comprehension. Direct effects are in solid lines while the indirect effect is indicated by a dashed line. The effects of confounding variables (oral language, age) on study variables were controlled although only significant paths in the model are shown. Standardized beta coefficients with standard error in parentheses are noted for each path.