Executive functions predict literacy and mathematics achievements: The unique contribution of cognitive flexibility in grades 2, 4, and 6

Abstract

Research has shown that cognitive flexibility plays a critical role in students' learning and academic achievement. However, the unique contribution of cognitive flexibility to academic achievement across schooling is not fully understood. Thus, this study tested whether cognitive flexibility explained a significant amount of variance in academic achievement (i.e., literacy and mathematics outcomes) across Grades 2, 4, and 6, above and beyond fluid intelligence, inhibitory control, working memory, attention, and planning. The sample included 243 second graders, 284 fourth graders, and 203 sixth graders. For Grades 4 and 6, we found that better performance on the flexibility score was associated with better academic outcomes after controlling for fluid intelligence, attention, inhibitory control, working memory, and planning. This effect was not observed for Grade 2. Our findings showed that cognitive flexibility is a key component for school achievement, particularly for older students.

Proactive Control Mediates the Relationship Between Working Memory and Math Ability in Early Childhood

“…Previous research has indicated that cognitive control is involved in a wide range of cognitive activities including learning (Abrahamse et al, 2016), comprehension (Ye and Zhou, 2008), theory of mind (Carlson and Moses, 2001), problem solving (Passolunghi and Siegel, 2001), and general fluid intelligence (Benedek et al, 2014). Moreover, measures of cognitive control have been shown to explain a significant amount of variance in academic achievements, above and beyond the effect of general fluid intelligence (Magalhães et al, 2020). Given these critical aspects, the numbers of studies investigating cognitive control have increased dramatically during the past decades.…”

Dialogic Reading to Empower Executive Functions in Preschoolers

“…Reaching school-ages with more robust cognitive shifting skills is important as they represent significant predictors of writing and reading comprehension [ 34 , 35 ] and are related to creativity, that is the ability to generate different responses guided by internal stimuli [ 34 ] and to the ability to quickly adapt behaviors and responses according to different contexts and environmental demands. According to Magalaes and collaborators’ study, cognitive shifting is a unique predictor of academic achievement above and beyond control variables such as working memory, inhibition, fluid intelligence, attention, planning, especially for students after 4 grades [ 36 ]. Moreover, a study conducted by Kertz and collaborators describes as preschoolers with lower cognitive shifting abilities, in comparison to children with high shifting skills balanced for gender, parental education, IQ and severity symptoms at preschool age, showed greater depression and anxiety symptoms in the school years [ 37 ].…”

فاعلیة برنامج تدریبی قائم على الوظائف التنفیذیة لخفض صعوبات تعلم الحساب لدى تلامیذ المرحلة الابتدائیة

“…Pawar (2020) Pawar ( 2020) (Best, Miller, & Naglieri, 2011;Fuhs, Nesbitt, Farran, & Dong, 2014;St Clair-Thompson & Gathercole, 2006;Thorell, Veleiro, Siu and Mohammadi, 2013) Best et al ( 2011) (Blair & Razza, 2007;Filipe, et al, 2020;Schmitt, McClelland, Tominey, & Acock, 2015;Tominey & McClelland, 2011) Thorell et al (2013) Bull, Espy and Wiebe ( 2008) (LeFevre, et al, 2010;Purpura, et al, 2017) (Clark, et al, 2010) (Pawar, 2020) . (Homer, Plass, Raffaele, Ober, & Ali, 2018;Parong, Mayer, Fiorella, MacNamara, Homer, & Plass 2017;Nouchi et al, 2012) (Holm, et al, 2018;Magalhães, et al, 2020;Toll, et al, 2011;Wang, et al, 2012) Cognitive Flexibility Attentional System Inhibitory Control (Blair & Razza, 2007;Bull et al, 1999;Bull & Scerif, 2001 (Clark, et al, 2010) . (Geary, et al, 2008) Tower of Hanoi Tower of London (Welsh, & Huizinga, 2001) Tower of Hanoi (Humes, et al, 1997;Welsh, & Huizinga, 2001) Jigsaw Puzzle (Chin, 2009) (Miyake et al, 2000;Toll, et al, 2011) (Burgess, et al, ...…”

“…(Davidson, Amso, Anderson & Diamond, 2006) . Shahrivar, Doost, Khademi, & Nejad, 2015) test-retest reliability (Gioia et al, 2000;Zarrabi et al, 2015) Convergent validity (Gioia et al, 2000) Divergent validity (Gioia et al, 2000) ( Gioia et al, 2000) (Esplin, et al, 2020Kirk, et al, 2017) (Holm, et al, 2018;Magalhães, et al, 2020;Wang, Tasi, & Yang, 2012) Spaulding, (2017, 1998) . .…”

“…. (Holm, et al, 2018;Magalhães, et al, 2020;Toll, et al, 2011;Wang, et al, 2012) (Roid, 2003) (Heaton et al, 1993) (Chin, 2009;Humes, et al, 1997;Welsh, & Huizinga, 2001) (Heaton et al, 1993;Mueller, & Piper, 2014) (Burgess, et al, 1998;Miyake et al, 2000;Van der Sluis et al, 2007) (Davidson, et al, 2006) (Diamond, 2012;Peralbo-Uzquiano, Fernández-Abella, Durán-Bouza, Scionti, Ramsay, 2015;Pawar, 2020;Yáñez, 2020…”