Longitudinal Reciprocal Relations Among Reading, Executive Function, and Social-Emotional Skills: Maybe Not for All

In this study, we investigated longitudinal reciprocal relations among reading, executive function, and social-emotional skills in students from Grades 2 to 5, using the data set from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-2011. We addressed several important gaps in the literature on longitudinal reciprocal relations by using latent factors to represent the executive function and social-emotional skills in latent growth models with structured residuals, separating between- and within-person effects, and examining sample effects with a general population sample, students with reading difficulties, and high-performing students. Our results showed longitudinal reciprocal relations between reading and executive function in high-performing students, such that with development, the contribution of executive function to reading grew stronger while the contribution of reading to executive function remained stable; we found no longitudinal reciprocal relations between reading and social-emotional skills in any of the three sample groups; and these patterns of results remained the same based on the control of socioeconomic status and sensitivity analyses. Together, the results of this study support the heterogenous hypothesis of mutualism theory in education: The effect of mutualism may be stronger in some contexts and populations than in others. Longitudinal reciprocal relations between executive function and reading may be driven mostly by high-quality and intensive learning and practice in reading, not by socioeconomic status. Educational Impact and Implications StatementThis study demonstrates longitudinal reciprocal relations between reading and executive function for high-performing students from Grades 2 to 5 but not for the general population sample or those with reading difficulties. Our findings suggest that such longitudinal reciprocal relations are variable: Longitudinal reciprocal effects may be stronger in some contexts and populations than in others. It is important to trigger and strengthen the reciprocal relations between reading and executive function to yield synergistic effects in the development of both reading and executive function, especially for those with reading difficulties.

Automated summary

This study investigated the longitudinal reciprocal relations among reading, executive function, and social-emotional skills in students from Grades 2 to 5. The results showed that there were longitudinal reciprocal relations between reading and executive function in high-performing students, but not in the general population sample or those with reading difficulties.