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.