The deficit profile of working memory, inhibition, and updating in Chinese children with reading difficulties

This study investigated executive function deficits among Chinese children with reading difficulties. Verbal and numerical measures of working memory, inhibition, updating, and processing speed were examined among children with only reading difficulties (RD), children with reading and mathematics difficulties (RDMD), and typically developing peers (TD). Results showed that compared to the TD group, children with RD exhibited deficits in verbal working memory, inhibition, and processing speed, whereas children with RDMD had deficits in all these executive functions and processing speed in both the verbal and the numerical content. Processing speed mediated working memory and inhibition differences between the TD and the reading impaired groups, but processing speed could not explain the group differences in updating or the numerical working memory difference between children with RD and children with RDMD. The findings suggest that the executive function deficits of Chinese children with reading difficulties vary by task modality (verbal and numerical) and subtype (RD and RDMD). Implications of the findings for executive function training are also discussed.

► We investigated executive functions among Chinese children with reading difficulties.
► We investigated executive functions with paired verbal and numerical tasks.
► Executive function deficits varied by reading difficulty subgroups and task modality.
► Processing speed explained group differences on working memory and inhibition.