The links between executive functions, reading, writing, and arithmetic fluency, and text comprehension in adolescence

Abstract

Executive functions (EF) have been consistently associated with academic skills, yet their specific link with literacy and math during adolescence remain understudied, particularly in non-WEIRD, Spanish-speaking contexts. The present study investigated the associations among shifting, verbal working memory, inhibition; readingc, writing and arithmetic fluencies and text comprehension among Argentine adolescents. We further examined whether reading fluency functioned as an intermediate mechanism linking EF to comprehension. A total of 136 third-year high school students (39% girls, M = 14.03, SD = 0.44) completed computerized EF tasks and paper-based tests of fluency and comprehension. Correlational, regression, and path analyses were conducted to explore direct and indirect associations. Reading fluency partially explained the association between shifting and both writing and arithmetic fluency, suggesting shared cognitive processes across fluency domains. Verbal working memory showed direct contributions to writing and arithmetic fluency, consistent with their demands on online information manipulation. In addition, reading fluency was strongly associated with comprehension and statistically accounted for the link between shifting and comprehension. These findings indicate that reading fluency occupies a central position in the network of academic fluencies during adolescence and may represent a shared pathway through which shifting processes relate to other fluencies and comprehension. By focusing on a Spanish-speaking adolescent sample from a developing country, this study complements prior research conducted predominantly in English-speaking WEIRD populations and contributes to a more culturally diverse understanding of EF–academic relationships.