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Description
Typical language development in young children is positively associated with later academic success and negatively associated with developmental disabilities. Oral narrative production, one measure of language proficiency that predicts academic success, develops dramatically over the course of early childhood, and is a key factor in a child's ability to communicate about the world. Story development, perspective-taking, and grammar development show marked increases in complexity from 3 to 5 years of age. Research shows that executive function is strongly correlated with language development. Executive attention and behavioral inhibition show marked development beginning around 3 years of age. Executive function and oral narrative abilities have important implications for academic success, but the relationship between them is not well understood. The present study will examine the relationship between executive functioning and oral narrative production in early childhood. Data were collected from 42 children when the children were between 48 and 60 months and 38 children returned six months after the initial visit when the children were between 54 and 66 months. Spontaneous language was assessed using transcriptions of 10 minutes of free play. The narrative elicitation was assessed using the picture book, "Frog, where are you?" by Mercer Mayer. Narrative was coded for elements of the story, syntax, lexicon, and story sequence. School readiness was assessed using the Lollipop Test: A Diagnostic Screening Test of School Readiness-III. Finally, executive function was assessed using Luria's Tapping Task and the Child Attention Network Test. It was predicted that narrative ability would predict executive function and school readiness. In addition, it was predicted that executive function would predict school readiness. As anticipated, narrative production was a significant predictor of executive function at Wave 2. In addition, executive function at Wave 1 predicted narrative ability at Wave 2, suggesting a bidirectional relationship between executive function and narrative ability. Executive function predicted school readiness at Wave 2. However, narrative production did not predict school readiness at Wave 1 or Wave 2. Directions for future research include examining the effect of executive function on narrative production and school readiness across a larger timespan as well as confirming the results with a larger sample size.
