Dana Miller-Cotto | Examining Theories and Assumptions of Executive Function to Support Children’s Learning in Early Schooling

Institute of Personality and Social Research Colloquium

There is a well-established relationship between executive function and mathematics skills, though the nature of the relationship between these constructs is unclear. Having an understanding of how executive function supports or inhibits math performance can allow us to design better learning materials or improve our instructional practices. In this talk, I will present a set of studies examining the relationship between working memory, a component of executive function, and early math skills as they relate to three overarching theories using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Kindergarten (ECLS-K) where children were assessed on working memory and math performance beginning in kindergarten into third grade. Acknowledging the limitations of using secondary data analysis, I will also present a preliminary project testing the role of working memory in fraction magnitude comparisons for second and third-graders, and future directions, both as my work relates to learning materials and the measurement of self-regulatory process as it relates to racial disparities in education.