Executive functions development in children ages 5 to 9

Abstract

This study was aimed at developing norms and analyzing the dynamics of development for the main executive functions components in older preschoolers and younger schoolchildren. In this study we relied on the model proposed by A. Miyake and his colleagues, which identifies three main components of executive functions: working memory, inhibition and cognitive flexibility. To assess all executive functions components in this study a set of methods previously tested for children of older preschool age was used, most of which were based on subtests of the NEPSY-II diagnostic complex. The study involved 7289 children ages 5 to 9 (M=78, SD=9.9 months), attending older and preparatory groups of kindergarten, as well as first and second grades of school from different regions of Russia, of which 46.7% are boys. The analysis results norms were developed from eight age groups during six-month increments, separating the boys and girls. It was found that in preschoolers, significant differences in the executive functions were observed between children with a difference of six months, and in primary school age - with a difference of a year. In addition, the analysis showed significant differences in all executive functions components in girls and boys of both preschool and primary school ages. Thus, the study made it possible to trace the dynamics of all executive functions components development in Russian children ages 5 to 9. The data obtained will be useful to both scientists and practitioners in the field of child development. It is important to emphasize that the study conducted is a cross-sectional, and its results must be supplemented with longitudinal data on the development of executive functions components.

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