The influence of fluid ability and executive functions on children's functioning in kindergarten and school

Fluid ability is defined by Schneider and McGrew as the deliberate but flexible control of attention to solve novel “on the spot” problems that cannot be performed by relying exclusively on previously learned habits, schemas, and scripts.  Executive functions are needed when we deal with a new task that requires planning, choosing between alternative courses of action, monitoring the course taken, flexibility in changing course if needed, and the inhibition of automatic responses.  Executive functions involve behavioral inhibition (self control) and cognitive inhibition, working memory and mental flexibility.  Because they are theoretically close, I tend to wrap these concepts together (although they are not identical).

How do fluid ability and executive functions affect a child's functioning in kindergarten?

Fluid ability helps the child to understand what is taught in kindergarten.  A child with poor fluid ability needs simplification, examples and concrete demonstrations to a greater extent than what is usually needed by a kindergarten child.

Fluid reasoning enables the child to classify and sort objects into groups, and to find an exceptional object in a group.

Fluid reasoning enables the child to deal with complex tasks that require planning, organization and monitoring (for instance, to explain the rules of a new game to his friends).

Fluid reasoning enables the child to understand a story that the teacher reads, to draw conclusions, understand consequences and attribute feelings and intentions to characters in the story.  That is, the child can go beyond what is written explicitly in the text – at a basic level that fits the child's development.

Fluid reasoning enables the child to understand social situations, and the intentions that lie at the base of his friend's behaviors – in a basic level that suits this age.

Fluid ability enables the child to understand cause and effect (for example, to guess at the reasons for an event that he witnessed and what can happen later, at a level that suits this age). 

Executive functions enable the child to monitor his work, correct himself, make sure he finishes tasks, and get back to tasks after internal or external distractions.  Executive functions enable the child to respond flexibly when the situation changes, resist temptation, restrain himself, withstand frustration and self regulate – as fits the child's age (executive functions are still developing at the age of 5-6).

How do fluid ability and executive functions affect a kindergarten child's functioning in the assessment process?

Obviously, fluid ability and executive functions don't affect the child's functioning only on tests that measure these abilities.  It's important to look for their manifestations in the entire assessment process. 

We will look, for example, at the child's ability to tell CAT stories that do not merely describe the picture but involve planning, imagination, and have internal coherence.  We'll look at the child's ability to define some of the words in the vocabulary test in an abstract way.  We'll look at the child's ability to plan a drawing or to plan his work on the Bender test, to monitor his work and to correct himself. 

This information is not the main source for conclusions about the child's fluid ability, but it can support the information we derive from tests that map onto the fluid ability.

How do fluid ability and executive functions affect a school child's functioning?

Fluid ability affects children's ability to understand ideas taught in class, understand complex and abstract ideas, and think about complex and abstract ideas.  A child who has difficulties with fluid reasoning needs simplification, examples and demonstrations beyond what is needed by his friends.

Fluid ability and executive functions enable children to deal with complex tasks at school and in everyday life that require planning, organizing and follow up (completing homework, organizing time and priorities). 

Fluid ability enables children to understand texts: to draw conclusions, understand consequences, and attribute intentions that are not written explicitly in the text.

Fluid ability is at the base of mathematical reasoning. 

Fluid ability helps the child understand social situations and intentions that lie at the base of his friend's behaviors. 

Executive functions enable children to stay on task until it's finished, despite internal or external distractions,  to plan and to think about a strategy for performing a task, to benefit from feedback, to exercise self monitoring, to respond flexibly when the situation changes, to resist temptation, to stand frustration and to work for a goal they set for themselves.

How do fluid ability and executive functions affect a student's functioning in the assessment process?

Obviously, fluid ability and executive functions will not affect only the child's functioning on tests that measure them.  It's important to look at their manifestations in the entire assessment process.

We'll look at the child's ability to tell TAT stories which do not merely describe the picture but involve planning, imagination and have a coherent narrative.  We'll look at the child's ability to define words and concepts abstractly in the vocabulary test, to see the main elements in the RCFT test and to integrate them into a whole, to monitor his work, to correct his performance following his own or external feedback, to get back on task after a distraction, to avoid perseveration (on the Bender test, for instance) and to inhibit automatic reactions.

This information will not be the main source for conclusions about the child's fluid ability, but it will support the information we derive from tests that map onto the fluid ability.

What tests assess fluid ability?

Tests such as Planning (KABC2), Concept Formation, Analysis-Synthesis (WJ3), Picture Concepts, Verbal Reasoning and Matrix Reasoning (WWPSI3).  Of course we consider both the child's scores on these tests and the way he performed these tests.