Preschool executive functions robustly predict mathematical skills during preschool and later in development¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · review r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2023 · checked against its sources 2026-10-21 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Converging correlational and longitudinal studies show preschool EF predicts foundational numeracy and standardised mathematics concurrently and over multi-year intervals. → Scerif 2023

Evidence¶

Scerif 2023¶

Scerif, G., Blakey, E., Gattas, S., Hawes, Z., Howard, S., Merkley, R., O'Connor, R., & Simms, V. (2023). Making the Executive 'Function' for the Foundations of Mathematics: the Need for Explicit Theories of Change for Early Interventions. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-023-09824-3

q2 · i? · review · r2

Narrative synthesis of longitudinal studies (e.g. Clark et al. 2013; Fuhs et al. 2014; Coolen et al. 2021; Ribner et al. 2017) reporting that "preschool EF as a robust predictor of mathematical skills" across ages 3 to school entry and beyond.

"Overall, the extant literature converges on preschool EF as a robust predictor of mathematical skills, both during preschool and later in development."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Executive Function — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes
• Self-Regulation — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes

Related Claims¶

• Evidence for integrated EF–mathematics interventions is growing but mixed — related
• Preschool working memory–flexibility predicts later math achievement, especially in Grade 3 — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Executive functioning and early numeracy skills assessed in kindergarten directly predict mathematical performance in second grade, jointly explaining 57.3% of its variance — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Motivation's effect on later mathematical performance is indirect, mediated by executive functioning and early numeracy skills — related
• Children's executive function at the beginning of pre-kindergarten predicts growth in mathematics achievement across the pre-kindergarten year — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Executive function and spatial skills jointly predict 70% of the variance in age-4 mathematics performance without an explicit number-knowledge measure — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Early language and executive skills at age 3–4 predict preschool counting and number knowledge, which mediate their influence on later arithmetic — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Growth in task orientation partially mediates the association between executive function and mathematics achievement in preschoolers — related
• Spatial skills uniquely predict 27% of the variance in preschool mathematics over and above executive function — related
• Children who develop EF later start preschool with the lowest math levels and do not catch up to early or intermediate EF developers through second grade — a narrower finding that bears on this claim