Role of executive functions in reading fluency efficiency of struggling readers: the case of Turkish young learners / El papel de las funciones ejecutivas en la eficiencia de la fluidez lectora de los lectores con dificultades: el caso de los jóvenes estudiantes turcos

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the role of executive functions in the reading fluency efficiency of struggling readers who were exposed to a highly transparent orthography, Turkish. Participants were 216 first- and third-grade elementary school students divided into two categories, as struggling readers or typically developing ones (control group). To assess participants’ executive functions, we used the Turkish translation of CHEXI, addressing the evaluation of the executive functions of primary school children based on teacher opinions. Data were analysed using MANOVA and logistic regression tests. Findings indicate that Turkish struggling readers across all grade levels face challenges related to executive function and lack sufficient skills in this area to achieve fluency in reading. Moreover, the significant and strong correlations observed across reader profiles provide compelling evidence that executive functions play a critical role in the process of decoding Turkish words, irrespective of the specific grade level. The acquisition of adequate reading skills in Turkish, an orthography that is highly transparent, appears to be influenced by the peculiarities of cognitive executive functions.