Fine Motor Skills and Executive Function Both Contribute to Kindergarten Achievement

TLDR

The study investigated how executive function and fine motor skills predict kindergarten achievement on six standardized tests in middle‑socioeconomic status children. Researchers measured fine and gross motor abilities at home before kindergarten, assessed executive function in the fall, and administered Woodcock–Johnson III achievement tests at fall and spring. Results showed that executive function and fine motor skills are distinct, and higher levels of both—particularly design‑copy performance—forecast higher achievement at entry and greater gains from fall to spring.

Abstract

This study examined the contribution of executive function (EF) and multiple aspects of fine motor skills to achievement on 6 standardized assessments in a sample of middle‐socioeconomic status kindergarteners. Three‐ and 4‐year‐olds’ ( n = 213) fine and gross motor skills were assessed in a home visit before kindergarten, EF was measured at fall of kindergarten, and Woodcock–Johnson III Tests of Academic Achievement were administered at fall and spring. Correlations indicated that EF and fine motor skills appeared distinct. Further, controlling for background variables, higher levels of both EF and fine motor skills, specifically design copy, predicted higher achievement on multiple subtests at kindergarten entry, as well as improvement from fall to spring. Implications for research on school readiness are discussed.