Cognitive predictors of reading comprehension in children from diverse socio-educational contexts

Abstract

Socioeconomic disparities exert a substantial influence on children’s reading development, yet the cognitive mechanisms mediating this relationship remain understudied in Latin American contexts. This study examines how executive functions (EF) and reading fluency mediate the effects of the Level of Educational Opportunities (LEO)—a school-level SES index—on reading comprehension in 348 Argentine primary-school students. Using a digital battery, selective attention, cognitive flexibility, fluid intelligence, and reading comprehension were assessed. Children in low-LEO schools showed poorer EF performance, slower reading speed, and lower comprehension. Path analysis revealed two independent mediation pathways: a fluency-based route (LEO → reading speed → comprehension) and a cognitive route (LEO → EF → fluid intelligence → comprehension). Age mirrored this dual mediation. These findings underscore that school-level socioeconomic environments shape reading outcomes through executive-reasoning skills and fluency, offering actionable targets for intervention to reduce literacy gaps in disadvantaged settings.