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Executive functioning and word reading in Hong Kong Chinese children: A 1‐year longitudinal perspective
Author(s) -
Fung Wing Kai,
Chung Kevin Kien Hoa,
Lam Chun Bun
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of research in reading
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.077
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1467-9817
pISSN - 0141-0423
DOI - 10.1111/1467-9817.12302
Subject(s) - psychology , working memory , reading (process) , perspective (graphical) , developmental psychology , longitudinal study , short term memory , baddeley's model of working memory , word (group theory) , cognition , linguistics , philosophy , statistics , mathematics , neuroscience , artificial intelligence , computer science
This study examined the bidirectionality between kindergarten children's executive functioning (EF) and word reading across two time points. Participants were 523 Hong Kong Chinese‐speaking children (mean age at Time 2 = 64.59 months; 52.9% male) and their parents. At Time 1, children were administered the measures of EF skills: inhibitory control, attention shifting, working memory and Chinese word reading. They were reassessed with these measures at Time 2 one year later. Results from the cross‐lagged panel model revealed that, controlling for child age, gender and parental education levels, children's word reading at Time 1 was significantly predictive of their working memory at Time 2, but that the three EF skills at Time 1 were not predictive of word reading at Time 2. These findings underscored the role of early word reading in promoting children's working memory.