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Presenter: Isabel Dora Polak

Faculty Sponsor: Jill Hoover

School: UMass Amherst

Research Area: Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences

Session: Poster Session 6, 4:15 PM - 5:00 PM, 163, C5

ABSTRACT

Several studies have documented a robust relationship between children’s executive functions and their language skills. To date, however, most studies have used broad measures of children’s language skills that may overlook important nuances that would help us understand this relationship and what it means for children’s development. In the current study, we narrow in on language through a comprehensive examination of children’s grammatical skills. Grammatical skills are of interest because they are foundational to the development of spoken and written language and educational outcomes in children. We ask the following research question-- To what extent do individual differences in executive functions predict grammatical ability in children? Methodology: To answer our research question, we will use data from 67 three to six-year-old neurotypical children who completed three experimental measures of executive functions and three experimental measures of grammatical skills. Data analysis is in progress. Conclusions: Regardless of the results, the knowledge gained from this study will clarify our understanding of the relationship between language and executive functions. Additionally, the outcome of the study may serve as the foundation needed for future studies that could have direct implications for assessment or intervention for childhood language disorders.