The role of executive functions in early Spanish writing development in 5-year-olds

Abstract The present study examines the relationships between executive functions and early writing skills (specifically handwriting and spelling) in Spanish-speaking kindergarten students. In addition, the study examines the latent structure of executive functions in kindergarten-aged children, which was best represented by a unitary construct. Early writing is crucial for academic development, and executive functions may significantly contribute to both handwriting performance and the acquisition of spelling skills. Based on the “Not-So-Simple View of Writing” framework, executive functions are recognized as playing a pivotal role in writing development by coordinating transcription and text generation skills. Although previous research has highlighted the importance of executive functions in writing, findings in young children are contradictory, and there is a lack of evidence on how they relate to transcription skills in early childhood, particularly in contexts with transparent orthographic systems like Spanish. This study aimed to analyze the contribution of executive functions (working memory, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and attention) to early writing skills, specifically transcription skills (handwriting and spelling) in Spanish kindergarten children. Participants ( N = 352, 181 girls) were in the third year of kindergarten (M age = 5.82 years, SD = 0.33) from seven public and private schools on the island of Tenerife (Spain). Results from the Structural Equation Model (SEM) showed that executive functions were significantly related to writing skills and had a greater impact on spelling than on handwriting. The study underscores the need for targeted instructional strategies focused on executive function within educational programs and interventions to enhance writing skills, specifically transcription skills, among Spanish-speaking kindergarten children.