The Library
The development of executive function and language skills in the early school years
Tools
Gooch, Debbie, Thompson, Paul A., Nash, Hannah M., Snowling, Margaret J. and Hulme, Charles (2016) The development of executive function and language skills in the early school years. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 57 (2). pp. 180-187. doi:10.1111/jcpp.12458 ISSN 0021-9630.
Research output not available from this repository.
Request-a-Copy directly from author or use local Library Get it For Me service.
Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12458
Abstract
Background:
The developmental relationships between executive functions (EF) and early language skills are unclear. This study explores the longitudinal relationships between children's early EF and language skills in a sample of children with a wide range of language abilities including children at risk of dyslexia. In addition, we investigated whether these skills independently predict children's attention/behaviour skills.
Method:
Data are presented from 243 children at four time points. Children were selected for being at risk of reading difficulties either because of a family history of dyslexia (FR; N = 90) or because of concerns regarding their language development (LI; N = 79) or as typically developing controls (TD; N = 74). The children completed tasks to assess their executive function and language skills at ages 4, 5 and 6 years. At 6 (T4) and 7 years (T5) parents and teachers rated the children's attention/behaviour skills.
Results:
There was a strong concurrent relationship between language and EF at each assessment. Longitudinal analyses indicated a considerable degree of stability in children's language and EF skills: the influence of language on later EF skills (and vice versa) was weak and not significant in the current sample. Children's EF, but not language, skills at T3 predicted attention/behaviour ratings at T4/T5.
Conclusions:
There is a strong concurrent association between language and EF skills during the preschool and early school years, when children with language impairment show persistent EF deficits. Latent variables measuring language and EF show high longitudinal stability with little evidence of significant or strong reciprocal influences between these constructs. EF, but not language, skills predict later ratings of children's attention and behaviour.
Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Divisions: | Faculty of Social Sciences > Centre for Educational Development, Appraisal and Research (CEDAR) | ||||||||
Journal or Publication Title: | Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry | ||||||||
Publisher: | Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd. | ||||||||
ISSN: | 0021-9630 | ||||||||
Official Date: | February 2016 | ||||||||
Dates: |
|
||||||||
Volume: | 57 | ||||||||
Number: | 2 | ||||||||
Page Range: | pp. 180-187 | ||||||||
DOI: | 10.1111/jcpp.12458 | ||||||||
Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||||||
Publication Status: | Published | ||||||||
Access rights to Published version: | Open Access (Creative Commons) |
Request changes or add full text files to a record
Repository staff actions (login required)
View Item |