The Contribution of Executive Functions to Academic Achievement in Gifted Children: A Cross-Sectional Study

Growing evidence indicates that executive functions, metacognition, and reading comprehension are crucial for academic success; however, their contribution to academic achievement in gifted children remains insufficiently understood. The main aim of this study was to compare planning processes and metacognitive abilities among gifted children with high academic achievement, gifted children with low academic achievement, and typically developing children with high academic achievement. A secondary aim was to examine reading comprehension in gifted children compared to typically developing peers. Seventy-three children (34 males, 39 females), aged between 8 and 11 years (M = 9.5, SD = 0.91), were divided into three groups: gifted children with high academic achievement, gifted children with low academic achievement, and typically developing children. Participants completed the Tower of London task, the MT Reading Comprehension Test, and the Me and My Mind metacognition questionnaire. Results showed that both groups of gifted children performed significantly better than typically developing peers in planning efficiency and reading comprehension. No significant differences emerged between high- and low-achieving gifted children in planning, reading comprehension, or metacognition. Overall, the findings suggest that planning abilities and reading comprehension represent cognitive strengths that distinguish gifted children from typically developing high achievers, whereas differences in academic achievement within the gifted population may be more closely related to metacognitive regulation and other non-cognitive factors rather than to planning or reading comprehension alone.