Examination of the Role of Executive Function during Reading and Math in Children

Project Summary Abstract Children’s reading and math skills are critical to their future educational outcomes, career readiness, and overall health and well-being (e.g., ACT, 2020; Cain & Oakhill, 2006; DeWalt et al., 2004; Geary, 2011; Heilmann, 2020; Krajewski & Schneider, 2009; Ritchie & Bates, 2013), yet many children struggle with math and learning to read (National Center for Education Statistics, 2020). Individuals who struggle with math or learning to read often display weaknesses in executive function (EF) skills on behavioral measures (Peng & Fuchs, 2014), which could underline one of the fundamental bases of their deficits in reading and math. Conversely, individuals who struggle with reading or math may need to recruit additional EF skills to compensate for their poor reading and math problem-solving to meet task demands (Martinez-Lincoln et al., in review). By understanding the association between EF and domain-specific academic skills, we will have greater insight into the development of reading and math, and how EF can hinder or facilitate academic growth. This proposal aims to examine the recruitment of domain-general vs. domain-specific EF (Aim 1) and the connectivity for domain-specific and EF brain regions (Aim 2) in 7-8 yo children. After EF recruitment and connectivity have been established, behavioral correlates that influence EF connectivity to domain-specific regions will be examined in a larger group of children, over-sampled for reading and math difficulty (Aim 3), to facilitate a greater understanding of the underlying cognitive mechanisms of learning and how EF may vary by reading and math skill level. This proposal integrates behavioral and neuroimaging approaches, to fulfill the candidate’s short-term goals to distinguish the recruitment and connectivity of EF in reading and math for children and the behavioral correlates that influence EF brain activity and connectivity to understand development. These findings will support her long-term goals to use these complementary methodologies to develop effective interventions for struggling learners and to identify how the recruitment of EF may differ across development. The proposed training plan will provide skills necessary to have a successful, independent research career in academia by enhancing the candidate’s research program, while also expanding her research skills in four key areas: (1) a greater understanding of the underlying cognitive mechanisms of reading and math, (2) advanced computational and statistical approaches to neuroimaging data, (3) scholarly productivity in educational neuroscience, and (4) professional development. The candidate’s career and training plan will take place at Vanderbilt’s University (VU), a consistent recipient of funding from the National Institutes of Health. VU has a top-ranking Special Education Program with one of the few educational neuroscience programs and has substantial resources to provide support to the candidate during the K99 phase of the award.