scholarly journals Why do early mathematics skills predict later mathematics and reading achievement? The role of executive function

2022 ◽  
Vol 214 ◽  
pp. 105306
Author(s):  
Dieuwer ten Braak ◽  
Ragnhild Lenes ◽  
David J. Purpura ◽  
Sara A. Schmitt ◽  
Ingunn Størksen
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Reading Achievement ◽  
Early Mathematics ◽  
Mathematics Skills

Why do early mathematics skills predict later reading? The role of mathematical language.

2017 ◽  
Vol 53 (9) ◽  
pp. 1633-1642 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Purpura ◽  
Jessica A. R. Logan ◽  
Brenna Hassinger-Das ◽  
Amy R. Napoli
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Language ◽  
Early Mathematics ◽  
Mathematics Skills

scholarly journals Free will and neurosurgical resections of the supplementary motor area: a critical review

2021 ◽  
Vol 163 (5) ◽  
pp. 1229-1237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rickard L Sjöberg
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Free Will ◽  
Corticospinal Tract ◽  
Supplementary Motor Area ◽  
Personal Responsibility ◽  
Motor Area ◽  
Simple Motor ◽  
Motor Actions ◽  
Intense Debate

Abstract Background Research suggests that unconscious activity in the supplementary motor area (SMA) precedes not only certain simple motor actions but also the point at which we become aware of our intention to perform such actions. The extent to which these findings have implications for our understanding of the concepts of free will and personal responsibility has been subject of intense debate during the latest four decades. Methods This research is discussed in relation to effects of neurosurgical removal of the SMA in a narrative review. Results Removal of the SMA typically causes a transient inability to perform non-stimulus-driven, voluntary actions. This condition, known as the SMA syndrome, does not appear to be associated with a loss of sense of volition but with a profound disruption of executive function/cognitive control. Conclusions The role of the SMA may be to serve as a gateway between the corticospinal tract and systems for executive function. Such systems are typically seen as tools for conscious decisions. What is known about effects of SMA resections would thus seem to suggest a view that is compatible with concepts of personal responsibility. However, the philosophical question whether free will exists cannot be definitely resolved on the basis of these observations.

Supporting Young Children’s Development of Executive Function Through Early Mathematics

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 192-199
Author(s):  
Christina Mulcahy ◽  
Crystal A. Day Hess ◽  
Douglas H. Clements ◽  
Jasmine R. Ernst ◽  
Sarah E. Pan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Mathematics Achievement ◽  
Mathematics Teaching ◽  
Early Childhood Teachers ◽  
Academic Skills ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Alternative Strategies ◽  
Early Mathematics ◽  
General Skills ◽  
And Behavior

Early childhood teachers face competing instructional priorities to support specific academic skills and general skills that underlie learning, such as executive function (EF) skills that allow children to control their own thinking and behavior. As the evidence shows, EF skills predict later mathematics achievement, and early mathematics predicts later EF. These relations between mathematics and EF suggest high-quality mathematics teaching has a dual benefit: Teachers can promote children’s math and EF competencies by embedding support for EF in high-quality mathematics activities. Children benefit when guided to reflect on solutions and alternative strategies, and teachers benefit from guidance on how to support both math and EF. Finally, research on teachers developing both domains can inform educational policy.

scholarly journals Cognition in Context: Validating Group-Based Executive Function Assessments in Young Children

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sammy F. Ahmed ◽  
Jennie K Grammer ◽  
Frederick J. Morrison
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Reading Achievement ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Standardized Tests ◽  
Social Processes ◽  
Kindergarten Students ◽  
Group Settings ◽  
Young Students

The current study describes and validates a set of group-based executive function (EF) assessments for use with young children. These situational tasks involve instructing groups of young students to march to music while completing tasks that place demands on their EF abilities. These efforts were motivated by providing researchers with a set measures that assess EF subcomponents while also accounting for the dynamic social processes present in group settings. These assessments take place in schools, are relatively simple to administer, and include multiple EF indicators. Drawing on a diverse sample of 283 Kindergarten students (Mage = 5.8 years; SD = 0.38 years), we found that group-based EF assessments were significantly related to individually-assessed EF measures, and differentially predicted children’s performance on standardized tests of math and reading achievement. Overall, this study represents a first step towards developing a set of group-based EF measures that are appropriate for use with young children.

The Role of Executive Function and Self-Regulation in the Development of Computational Thinking

2021 ◽  
pp. 64-83
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Kazakoff Myers
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
School Readiness ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Computational Thinking ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Early Childhood Curriculum ◽  
The Relationship

This chapter summarizes theoretical connections between computational thinking through learning to code, self-regulation, and executive function and discusses why it is important to continue exploring the intersection of executive function, self-regulation, and computational thinking, including the need to revisit the socio-cultural underpinnings of foundational self-regulation, executive function, and school readiness research. As an example, findings from a 2014 study that explored the relationship between self-regulation and computational thinking when learning to code are shared. Research supports the idea of teaching computational thinking skills within an integrated early childhood curriculum to support the development of well-prepared citizens for the 21st century by drawing on the connections between executive function, self-regulation, and computational thinking.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document