Focusing on Executive Function Development and Early Literacy and Mathematics Achievement in Pre-Kindergarten Children

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Abstract

This study aimed to examine the influence of an executive function-focused curriculum on the development of executive function skills and achievement in Pre-Kindergarten children. Data were collected from 511 Pre-Kindergarteners participating in an Executive Function-focused Early Childhood program implemented in a high-minority, economically disadvantaged urban school district in southeast Texas. Findings indicated statistically significant mean differences in executive function and achievement scores. Additionally, statistically significant positive relationships were found to exist between a student's executive function development scores and how well they performed on the Texas CLI Pre-Kindergarten monitoring assessment. As student executive function scores increased, so did their early literacy and mathematics skills.

Authors

• Amber L. Brown, University of Houston - Clear Lake

• Anil Karim, Fueling Brains

• Michelle L. Peters, University of Houston - Clear Lake