Poster #24 - Bidirectional relations between preschooler's executive functions and math skills

• In Event: 3-159 - Poster Session 12
  In Poster Session: PS 12 Section - Cognitive Process

Integrative Statement

Executive functions refer to cognitive ability including short-term and working memory, attention, and behavior shifting (Diamond, 2013), which play a significant role in children’s development and impact children’s academic outcomes (Blair, 2007). Numerous studies show that children’s executive function is related to their math skills; for example, young children’s working memory is significantly and positively associated with counting ability (Bull & Scerif, 2001). Evidence also indicates that preschoolers having higher levels of executive function have better performance on math tasks (Willoughby, Kupersmudt & Voegler-Lee, 2012). Although poverty has been identified as a risk factor that is linked to children’s poor cognitive development and academic performance (Noble, McCandliss, & Farah, 2007), there is the paucity of research on children from low-income families. Furthermore, no investigation appears to have examined the bi-directionality of the link between children’s executive function and math skills. This paper addresses these limitations by examining bidirectional relations between preschoolers’ executive function and math skills over time.
Methods
We used a longitudinal panel sample of 57 children (including 25 boys and 32 girls) who participated in Lincoln Educare Program. Most of the children were from low-income families. The sampled children were, on average 3.35 years of age (S.D. = .68). Using the Minnesota Executive Function scale (MEFS; Carlson & Zelazo, 2014) and the applied problems subscale of Woodcock-Johnson I-V (WJ-IV, 2014), we measured the children’s executive function and math skills in the spring (wave 1) and fall (wave 2) semesters of 2017.
Results
The mean score of the executive function was found to significantly increase from 93.00 (S.D. = 1.20) to 96.37 (S.D. = .99) over time (t = -2.16, p < .05). The mean differences between math skills at time 1 (Mean = 94.58, S.D. = 1.68) and time 2 (Mean = 94.68, S.D. = 1.30) were not significant. Our final cross-lagged structural equation model shows that children’s earlier math skills at wave 1 were positively related to their later math skills (beta = .63, p < .01) and executive function (beta = .33, p < .10), both measured at wave 2. Unexpectedly, the children’s executive function measured at wave 1 was not significantly associated with any outcomes measured at wave 2. With regard to the age and sex effects, older children were found to have higher levels of executive functions at both waves (beta = .24, p < .10; beta = .20, p < .10, respectively) than younger children; however, the child’s age was not significantly related to math skills. Interestingly, girls demonstrated higher math skills at wave 1 (beta = .33, p < .05) and lower math skills at wave 2 (beta = -.27, p < .05) than boys. To sum up, the sampled children who participated in the Lincoln Educare program improved their executive function over time; however, no significant changes in math skills was found in our sample. If valid, these findings suggest that early math education and interventions for young children would be beneficial to their cognitive development as well as academic achievement.

Authors

• Yao Yao, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  Presenting Author

• Helen Raikes, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jeong-Kyun Choi, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  Non-Presenting Author

• Joseph Byrd, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  Non-Presenting Author