# Examination of the Role of Executive Function during Reading and Math in Children

> **NIH NIH K99** · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $128,250

## Abstract

Project Summary Abstract
 Children’s reading and math skills are critical to their future educational outcomes, career readiness, and
overall health and well-being (e.g., ACT, 2020; Cain & Oakhill, 2006; DeWalt et al., 2004; Geary, 2011;
Heilmann, 2020; Krajewski & Schneider, 2009; Ritchie & Bates, 2013), yet many children struggle with math
and learning to read (National Center for Education Statistics, 2020). Individuals who struggle with math or
learning to read often display weaknesses in executive function (EF) skills on behavioral measures (Peng &
Fuchs, 2014), which could underline one of the fundamental bases of their deficits in reading and math.
Conversely, individuals who struggle with reading or math may need to recruit additional EF skills to
compensate for their poor reading and math problem-solving to meet task demands (Martinez-Lincoln et al., in
review). By understanding the association between EF and domain-specific academic skills, we will have
greater insight into the development of reading and math, and how EF can hinder or facilitate academic
growth. This proposal aims to examine the recruitment of domain-general vs. domain-specific EF (Aim 1) and
the connectivity for domain-specific and EF brain regions (Aim 2) in 7-8 yo children. After EF recruitment and
connectivity have been established, behavioral correlates that influence EF connectivity to domain-specific
regions will be examined in a larger group of children, over-sampled for reading and math difficulty (Aim 3), to
facilitate a greater understanding of the underlying cognitive mechanisms of learning and how EF may vary by
reading and math skill level.
 This proposal integrates behavioral and neuroimaging approaches, to fulfill the candidate’s short-term
goals to distinguish the recruitment and connectivity of EF in reading and math for children and the behavioral
correlates that influence EF brain activity and connectivity to understand development. These findings will
support her long-term goals to use these complementary methodologies to develop effective interventions for
struggling learners and to identify how the recruitment of EF may differ across development. The proposed
training plan will provide skills necessary to have a successful, independent research career in academia by
enhancing the candidate’s research program, while also expanding her research skills in four key areas: (1) a
greater understanding of the underlying cognitive mechanisms of reading and math, (2) advanced
computational and statistical approaches to neuroimaging data, (3) scholarly productivity in educational
neuroscience, and (4) professional development. The candidate’s career and training plan will take place at
Vanderbilt’s University (VU), a consistent recipient of funding from the National Institutes of Health. VU has a
top-ranking Special Education Program with one of the few educational neuroscience programs and has
substantial resources to provide support to the candidate durin...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10807195
- **Project number:** 1K99HD111574-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Amanda Martinez-Lincoln
- **Activity code:** K99 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $128,250
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-09-17 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10807195

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10807195, Examination of the Role of Executive Function during Reading and Math in Children (1K99HD111574-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10807195. Licensed CC0.

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