Consider isolated cognitive flexibility practice and later-year timing instead of embedding flexibility practice within phonics activities¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

Based on the null embedded-practice results, the authors recommend alternative designs for cognitive flexibility training in early reading intervention. They suggest "it may be more effective to provide isolated practice in cognitive flexibility tasks, such as sorting, as described in Cartwright's (2016, 2019, 2020) interventions, or in the isolated working memory practice described in the training studies mentioned earlier." They also suggest timing may matter: switching practice may work better later in the kindergarten year, once children have developed stable letter associations, and note a longer intervention with more time to consolidate skills may be needed to detect decoding effects.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Future designs should consider the timing and design of instruction and how cognitive abilities, as well as alphabet knowledge, contribute to acquisition of early reading skills.

Constraints¶

• The authors state the embedded approach may have created excessive learning demands on students acquiring both cognitive and literacy skills, and that the Flex activities featured limited exposure to graphophonological-semantic cognitive flexibility.

Target Learners¶

• Kindergarten children who respond inadequately to standard systematic phonics approaches

Target Learning Goals¶

• Decoding acquisition and executive function development supporting early reading

Related Strategies¶

• Replacing think-write pedagogy with conversation-based writing activities
• Design cognitive flexibility tasks controlling working memory and inhibition demands and matching accuracy across age cohorts

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Vadasy, P. F., & Sanders, E. A. (2023). Cognitive flexibility + phonics intervention effects on reading gains. Reading Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1080/02702711.2023.2166636