Executive function developmental trajectories kindergarten to first grade: monolingual, bilingual and English language learners

Castillo, Anabel; Khislavsky, Alexander L.; Altman, Meaghan; Gilger, Jeffrey W.

doi:10.1080/13670050.2020.1742649

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 83 publications

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“…This study's findings provide strong evidence supporting the cognitive advantages of bilingual instruction in special education environments. Our results align with other studies, showing a strong positive link between bilingual proficiency and executive function results (Tao et al, 2023;Castillo et al, 2020). Bilingual students outperformed monolingual pupils in behavioral management, metacognition, and total executive function.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 92%

Quantifying Executive Functions: Bilingual Education's Cognitive Impact in Special Education

Chiedu,

Smith

2024

Intl. J. Rel.

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This research examines how bilingual education affects the cognitive executive skills of kids in special education. The research investigates the correlation between bilingual proficiency and EFs, taking into account the moderating influence of demographic factors such as age, gender, and socioeconomic position (SES). The sample consisted of 120 kids who were part of special education programs. The study included evaluations of their multilingual competence and executive functions. Statistical methods such as t-tests, ANOVA, regression, correlation, and ANCOVA were used to investigate the relationships between bilingualism, executive functions (EFs), and demographic variables. The results show a strong positive correlation between bilingual proficiency and executive functions (EFs), indicating that increased proficiency is linked to improved EF performance. Moreover, socioeconomic status (SES) was shown to be a major predictor of executive functions (EFs), underscoring the relevance of including socioeconomic considerations when evaluating cognitive results. The findings highlight the cognitive benefits of bilingual education for kids in special education and provide valuable information for educational practice, policy, and future study.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 92%

Quantifying Executive Functions: Bilingual Education's Cognitive Impact in Special Education

Chiedu,

Smith

2024

Intl. J. Rel.

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“…Third, our sample was limited to kindergarten children. It is possible that more robust evidence of the bilingual advantage would emerge at different ages, or that a longitudinal analysis might reveal differences in development of EF across monolingual and bilingual children (Castillo et al, 2020; Park et al, 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do Spanish-English bilingual children outperform monolingual English-speaking children on executive function tasks in early childhood? A propensity score analysis.

Goodrich¹,

Koziol²,

Yoon³

et al. 2022

Journal of Educational Psychology

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Despite much research examining whether bilingual individuals demonstrate superior executive function (EF) skills compared to monolinguals, the purported bilingual advantage remains controversial. One potential reason for discrepant findings across studies examining the bilingual advantage is the difficulty in matching monolingual and bilingual groups on important confounding variables that are related to EF. To address this limitation of prior research, we used a propensity score matching approach to evaluate the presence of the bilingual advantage in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-2011. Consistent with recent theories of EF development; we hypothesized that before matching, we would observe bilingual advantages on report-but not performance-based measures of EF. However, we expected that after matching bilingual and monolingual children on a comprehensive set of covariates there would be no group differences in EF. We matched bilingual Spanish-English and monolingual English kindergarteners on a comprehensive set of child-and school-level covariates and conducted a sensitivity analysis to evaluate whether results were sensitive to unobserved confounds. After matching groups (n = 252 matched pairs of monolingual and bilingual children), bilinguals had greater teacher-rated inhibitory control and attentional focus than did monolinguals; however, only the effect for inhibitory control was robust to unobserved confounds. In contrast, no effects of bilingualism were observed for performance-based measures of working memory or cognitive flexibility. Results are discussed in the context of recent theoretical models of EF development in early childhood. Educational Impact and Implications StatementRecent theory suggests that children's engagement in goal-directed behavior (e.g., sharing toys with friends) directly influences their cognitive development. In addition, there is debate over the extent to which the unique experiences of bilingual children afford advantages in cognitive development. Our findings suggest that young bilingual children's unique experiences lead to greater ability to use cognitive skills to engage in goal-directed behavior, when compared to monolingual children. Therefore, bilingualism may have important influences on cognitive development that can help support children's success in school and beyond.

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“…Interestingly, in 4 studies questionnaire-like methods were applied to tap into inhibition, with either teachers or parents responding to the surveys (Esposito, 2020;Verhagen et al, 2020;Beaudin and Poulin-Dubois, 2022;Castillo et al, 2022) instead of the more common experimental tasks. In those questionnaires, parents or teachers are asked about a child's behavior.…”

Section: Inhibitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is there a cognitive advantage in inhibition and switching for bilingual children? A systematic review

Planckaert,

Duyck,

Woumans

2023

Front. Psychol.

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Several studies have pointed to beneficial effects of bilingualism on executive functioning. However, observations of these beneficial effects have at times proven difficult to reproduce. Moreover, findings of studies on cognitive effects of bilingualism have been contested altogether. These contradictory outcomes leave the research field of bilingualism at unease. In the present review article, we aim to give a systematic overview of previous research on bilingual advantages in inhibition and switching in children up to the age of 12. Particular attention is paid to the experimental tasks that have been applied and the persistence of possible effects throughout critical and post-critical periods for cognitive development in children. In doing so, the review gives an insight in both the validity and robustness of possible domain-general cognitive effects of bilingualism in children. Terminological issues are also discussed.

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Executive function developmental trajectories kindergarten to first grade: monolingual, bilingual and English language learners

Cited by 6 publications

References 83 publications

Quantifying Executive Functions: Bilingual Education's Cognitive Impact in Special Education

Quantifying Executive Functions: Bilingual Education's Cognitive Impact in Special Education

Do Spanish-English bilingual children outperform monolingual English-speaking children on executive function tasks in early childhood? A propensity score analysis.

Is there a cognitive advantage in inhibition and switching for bilingual children? A systematic review

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