Near- and far-transfer effects of an executive function intervention for 2nd to 5th-grade struggling readers

Self Cite

The simple view of reading describes reading as the product of decoding (D) and listening comprehension (LC). However, the simple view of reading has been challenged, and evidence has proved it to be too simple to explain the complexities of reading comprehension in the elementary school years. Hypotheses have been advanced that there are cognitive-linguistic factors that underlie the common variance between D and LC, which are malleable, although there is no clarity at this point regarding what these are. We propose that one such group of malleable cognitive factors is executive function (EF) skills. Further, we posit that EF skills play equally strong roles in explaining reading comprehension variance in emergent bilinguals and English monolinguals. We used multigroup structural equation modeling to determine the contribution of these constructs (D, LC, and EF) to reading comprehension in 425 emergent bilinguals and 302 English monolinguals in grades 2-4. The shared variance between D and LC was explained by direct and indirect effects in the models tested, with strong indirect effects for the EFs of cognitive flexibility and working memory through D and LC, respectively, for both language groups. The indirect effect of cognitive flexibility through LC on reading comprehension was considerably larger for emergent bilinguals than for English monolinguals. Considerations for a more nuanced view of the simple view of reading and its implications for practice are discussed. P ublic discourse surrounding the science of reading has emphasized the simple view of reading (SVR; Gough & Tunmer, 1986) as a guiding framework for research under the Reading for Understanding initiative in the last decade (e.g.,

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond the Simple View of Reading: The Role of Executive Functions in Emergent Bilinguals’ and English Monolinguals’ Reading Comprehension

Barber¹,

Cartwright²,

Hancock³

et al. 2021

Self Cite

“…For example, researcher‐delivered GSF intervention improved EF skill and reading in typically developing students in grades 2–4 (Cartwright, 2002). Similarly, teacher‐delivered GSF intervention improved EF skill and reading in third‐grade students with reading comprehension difficulties, despite adequate decoding ability (Cartwright et al, 2017), and in teacher‐identified struggling readers in grades 2–5, even after controlling for word recognition, verbal ability, and grade level (Cartwright, Bock, et al, 2020). Given these and other findings, we appreciate Cutting, Bailey, Barquero, and Aboud’s (2015) version of Scarborough’s (2001) rope model of reading, in which EF is added by encircling the strands of the rope.…”

Section: Active Self‐regulation Is Central To Readingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…EFs include three core skills-cognitive flexibility, working memory, and inhibitory control-and skills such as attention and planning (Dawson & Guare, 2018;Diamond, 2013). In recent years, EFs have been the subject of an enormous amount of scientific research in relation to reading (for reviews, see Butterfuss & Kendeou, 2018;Cartwright, 2015;Follmer, 2018). Scientific evidence indicates that both domain-general and readingspecific EFs contribute to reading.…”

Section: Ef Skillsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The ability to simultaneously consider and actively switch between the lettersound (graphophonological) and meaning (semantic) features of printed words Cartwright, Bock, et al (2020) (continued) engagement, and EF-are not included in the original rope model at all. Notably, Cutting and colleagues' (2015) update of the rope model incorporates EF through arrows surrounding each strand of the rope.…”

Section: Reading Fluencymentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The Science of Reading Progresses: Communicating Advances Beyond the Simple View of Reading

Duke¹,

Cartwright²

2021

Self Cite

201

125

The simple view of reading is commonly presented to educators in professional development about the science of reading. The simple view is a useful tool for conveying the undeniable importance—in fact, the necessity—of both decoding and linguistic comprehension for reading. Research in the 35 years since the theory was proposed has revealed additional understandings about reading. In this article, we synthesize research documenting three of these advances: (1) Reading difficulties have a number of causes, not all of which fall under decoding and/or listening comprehension as posited in the simple view; (2) rather than influencing reading solely independently, as conceived in the simple view, decoding and listening comprehension (or in terms more commonly used in reference to the simple view today, word recognition and language comprehension) overlap in important ways; and (3) there are many contributors to reading not named in the simple view, such as active, self‐regulatory processes, that play a substantial role in reading. We point to research showing that instruction aligned with these advances can improve students’ reading. We present a theory, which we call the active view of reading, that is an expansion of the simple view and can be used to convey these important advances to current and future educators. We discuss the need to lift up updated theories and models to guide practitioners’ work in supporting students’ reading development in classrooms and interventions.

Contributions of Executive Function and Cognitive Intrinsic Motivation to University Students’ Reading Comprehension

Cartwright

Lee

Barber

et al. 2019

Reading comprehension is an incredibly complex, purposeful activity that involves simultaneous orchestration and integration of multiple processes. However, dominant perspectives suggest that two clusters of skills, word reading and language comprehension, account for successful reading. Such two‐factor models are problematic because they do not easily account for complexities in reading comprehension processes or for contributions to reading comprehension of other individual difference variables related to the purposeful nature of reading, such as executive functions (EFs) and intrinsic motivation. Further, simple models may lead to oversimplification of research questions, curricula, and instructional practices, causing researchers and educators to miss important contributors to reading comprehension necessary for students to develop into skilled readers. In this study, the authors assessed the unique contributions of EFs, both domain‐general and reading‐specific, and cognitive intrinsic motivation (i.e., the desire to engage in effortful cognitive activities) to reading comprehension in 122 university students beyond language comprehension and word‐reading skills. Findings confirm unique contributions of cognitive intrinsic motivation and reading‐specific EF to students’ reading comprehension beyond established predictors and domain‐general EFs. Findings also suggest complexities, such as impacts of language comprehension on word reading, as well as impacts of cognitive intrinsic motivation on both language and reading comprehension, that should be considered in theory and practice. Finally, because reading‐specific EF contributed to reading comprehension directly and indirectly beyond controls, these findings underscore the importance of applying knowledge of EF to specific reading processes to better support students who struggle to understand text.