Executive functions as mediators between family socio-economic status and pre-academic abilities in early preschool children
Abstract
Academic achievement in children is strongly shaped by their family’s socio-economic status (SES). Executive functions (EFs)—a set of high-level cognitive functions that enable individuals to set and achieve goals—may mediate this association. In a representative sample of 2,618 preschoolers (mean age = 42.61 ± 3.41 months; 1,254 girls), we found that EFs partly mediate the SES–pre-academic skills link. SES-related inequalities in numeracy and oral language emerge via early differences in EFs, particularly inhibitory control. This EF component is the strongest mediator for numeracy, with a greater indirect effect than for language. Our findings highlight the role of EFs in early SES-related educational disparities, underscoring the need for early cognitive interventions.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Parental Involvement in Education
Cognitive Abilities and Testing
Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Educational Psychology
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Volume
- 46
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 481–499
- Publication date
- 20 January 2026
- Language
- EN