Executive Function, Memory, and Literacy in Deaf Learners

Abstract

This chapter discusses the interactions among executive function (EF), memory, and literacy skills. Research with hearing populations has suggested a relationship between EF and academic achievement, and there has been particular interest in its relationship with reading. While the majority of research on memory and reading has focused on working memory (WM), there appears to be a broader relationship between memory and reading than just that involving WM. This chapter presents and reviews the general literature and the research with deaf learners on the relationships among EF, memory, and reading and writing. It also presents research with deaf college students that demonstrates the relationships between reading and writing tasks and measures of memory and EF. A general discussion of the integration of EF and memory and their effects on reading and writing skills of individuals who are deaf is presented.