Impact of a cognitive stimulation program on the reading comprehension of children in primary education

Abstract

IntroductionAt present, numerous studies can be found in which influences and relationships between the principal executive functions, reading comprehension, and academic performance associated with reading are reported. However, there is still a lack of convergence regarding the impact of computerized cognitive training on children’s executive development and its transfer in academic reading performance and comprehension of written texts.MethodsThis study analyzes the effect of implementing a cognitive stimulation program on the performance of reading comprehension and academic performance in the subject of Spanish Language and Literature. To this end, a total sample of 196 children from 23 educational centers received the cognitive intervention for 8 weeks, with three weekly sessions of between 15 and 20 min each occurring on non-consecutive days. Pre-test and post-test measurements were collected and analyzed.ResultsThe results demonstrate a significant increase in the reading comprehension scores. In addition, a significant impact of the training on the participants’ academic performance in the subject Spanish Language and Literature was found.DiscussionThese results highlight the usefulness of computerized cognitive stimulation programs for reading comprehension enhancement.

A Systematic Literature Review of the Impact of Cognitive Stimulation Programs on Reading Skills in Children Aged between 6 and 12 Years Old

“…Following the method described in the previous section, a total of 16 articles were selected, six of which implemented training in verbal and visuospatial working memory [44,53,[124][125][126][127], one focused on verbal working memory interventions [33], two specifically targeted visuospatial working memory development [34,128], and two stimulated central working memory or did not specify the specific working memory skill they targeted [70,129]. It is noteworthy that two studies conducted combined training of working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility [130] or working memory and inhibitory control [19], and only one of the selected studies addressed inhibitory control training individually [34]. Similarly, two of the selected studies carried out combined training of executive functions and reading processes simultaneously [62,71], while only one combined training in working memory with mathematical skills [101].…”

“…Far transfer can also be observed in these variables, as after-training improvements can be observed in reading speed and fluency in children from low socioeconomic contexts, with moderate effect sizes (d = 0.61), but not in children from high socioeconomic contexts [19]. Benefits in reading comprehension are also found [130], with moderate effect sizes (η p 2 = 0.071), after a controlled intervention with a validated commercial computerized cognitive training platform (CogniFit Inc., San Francisco, CA, USA). However, Weissheimer et al [19] did not find a significant impact of the training program on reading comprehension in children after training, regardless of the socioeconomic context of the participants.…”

“…Finally, reading comprehension was the most notable variable in this sample, as it was assessed in 13 of the 16 selected articles [19,34,44,53,62,70,71,[124][125][126][127]129,130]. Although in this case no specific battery stands out in terms of frequency of use within the selected articles, it is noteworthy for its high internal consistency the use of several tests.…”

“…On the other hand, the Test of Reading Comprehension for Students in 1st to 6th grade (Ein Leseverständnistest für Erst-bis Sechstklässler ELFE 1-6) [154], used by Johann and Karbach [34], reports a total Cronbach's alpha between 0.91 and 0.97 based on the sub-scales of word comprehension, sentence comprehension, and text comprehension, in addition to reading speed. Finally, the Progressive Linguistic Complexity Test (CLP) by Alliende et al [64] was implemented in the study by Reina-Reina et al [130] for measuring reading comprehension, reporting a Cronbach's alpha of 0.97.…”

“…In addition, Reina-Reina et al [130] explored the inter-individual differences that participants showed after completing the computerized cognitive training. The only covariate that modulated the effect of intervention on executive functions was the age of the participants, indicating that the effects of training were more significant in the younger population.…”