Avoiding left-to-right, top-to-bottom: An examination of high school students’ executive functioning skills and strategies for reading non-linear graphic text

Abstract

The present study focused on examining how individuals make adaptations while reading non-linear graphic text by examining the role of executive functioning, as well as identifying and describing the reading processes individuals use while reading. Sixty-seven students in Grades 9 through 12 engaged in verbal reporting while reading graphic text, in addition to answering comprehension questions and engaging in tasks designed to measure executive functioning. Both planning ability and a comprehensive measure of executive functioning were significantly correlated with graphic text comprehension, and the comprehensive measure significantly predicted comprehension of graphic text. The researchers identified that reading the text using a process generalized from other types of text (left-to-right, top-to-bottom) was negatively related to comprehension, suggesting that taking a more dynamic and adaptive approach to reading non-linear text may be more effective. Reading processes used with graphic text are discussed and described using the language of participants, and implications for practice are discussed.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council [grant number 752-2016-1898].