Executive functioning and reading comprehension at the end of primary education

Abstract

The objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between neuropsychological and behavioral measures of executive functioning (EF) and reading comprehension in students of the last cycle of Primary Education. The study sample consisted of 148 children (62% of 5th grade, 38% of 6th grade) and their teachers. Neuropsychological tasks related to the executive functions of working memory, inhibition and attention were administered. To evaluate the behavioral FE, their professors also completed the questionnaire Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF, Gioia, Isquith, Guy and Kenworthy, 2000). The results showed a relationship between reading comprehension and different EF measures evaluated with both types of tests. Working memory showed a close relationship with reading comprehension in both cases. Among the variables of behavioral FE, the weight of problem solving, flexibility and planning also stands out. The implications of these findings for research and psychoeducational practice are discussed.

Keywords

• funcionamiento ejecutivo
• comprensión lectora
• memoria de trabajo
• metacognición