The relations among the development of written language and executive functions in elementary aged students

Costa, Lara-Jeane Croker

The relations among the development of written language and executive functions in elementary aged students

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March 22, 2019

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Costa, Lara-Jeane Croker
- Affiliation: School of Education

Abstract

Most students in the U. S. are not proficient in writing according to the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress writing report. Researchers are making efforts to fill the gaps in written language, but writing development, instructional practices, and assessment procedures need to capture the focus of their efforts. Research to date has demonstrated various relationships between written language and cognitive processes, and a few researchers have found relationships between executive functions and written language. However, the relationship between writing and executive functions at different ages and how these relationships change over time, if at all, remain unknown. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the connection between the development of writing and executive functions in elementary aged children using data that were collected longitudinally. Participants in this study (n = 205) began participation in first grade and ended in fourth grade. The participants were assigned to one of two groups based on their written expression performance scores: 1) typically developing writers, and 2) struggling writers. The struggling writers were randomly assigned to treatment or control. Growth curve analysis with structural equation models was used to explore the relationships between written language and executive functions over time. Results from the final latent growth model suggested that writing and executive functions are related. Implications for educators and researchers are discussed along with potential future areas of research.

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