title: Fine motor skills and executive function both contribute to kindergarten achievement.
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.
authors.affiliation: University of Virginia, Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA. ccp2n@virginia.edu
authors.forename: Claire E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Cameron
authors.forename: Laura L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Brock
authors.forename: William M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Murrah
authors.forename: Lindsay H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: Samantha L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Worzalla
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grissmer
authors.forename: Frederick J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Morrison
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D001364:Awareness; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004522:Educational Status; D005006:Ethnicity; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D011932:Reading; D014825:Vocabulary