Pathways to school readiness: Executive functioning predicts academic and social-emotional aspects of school readiness.

Authors

Alycia M. HundFollow
Trisha D. Mann
Matthew S. Hesson-McInnis
Zachary J. Roman

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-2017

Abstract

The current study specified the extent to which hot and cool aspects of executive functioning predicted academic and social-emotional indicators of school readiness. It was unique in focusing on positive aspects of social-emotional readiness, rather than problem behaviors. One hundred four 3- to 5-year-old children completed tasks measuring executive functioning, social-emotional readiness, academic readiness, and vocabulary. As expected, age predicted executive functioning components and social-emotional readiness. Moreover, working memory and inhibitory control directly predicted academic readiness, whereas delay of gratification predicted social-emotional readiness. Working memory and inhibitory control predicted delay of gratification, consistent with the notion that simpler executive functions may set the stage for more complex executive functions. Interestingly, social-emotional readiness predicted academic readiness. These findings confirm that hot and cool aspects of executive functioning are related to social-emotional and academic school readiness.

Comments

This article was originally published in Mind, Brain, and Education. DOI: 10.1111/mbe.12134

Recommended Citation

Mann, T. D., Hund, A. M., Hesson-McInnis, M. S., & Roman, Z. J. (2017). Pathways to school readiness: Executive functioning predicts academic and social-emotional aspects of school readiness. Mind, Brain, and Education, 11, 21-31.