Vol.:(0123456789) Reading and Writing (2020) 33:1263–1294 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-019-10006-3 1 3 Untangling Chinese preschoolers’ early writing development: associations among early reading, executive functioning, and early writing skills Chenyi Zhang 1  · Gary E. Bingham 1  · Xiao Zhang 1  · Sara A. Schmitt 2  · David J. Purpura 2  · Fuyi Yang 3 Published online: 16 December 2019 © Springer Nature B.V. 2019 Abstract Despite a growing body of literature in English-speaking contexts documenting associa- tions among children’s early reading, executive function (EF), and early writing develop- ment, relatively few studies investigate the development of these skills in young Chinese children. Utilizing a longitudinal research design, this study followed 84 Chinese children ( M= 4.16 years, SD = 0.67) over the preschool year and investigated concurrent and longi- tudinal associations among young children’s early reading (i.e. vocabulary, phonological awareness, and Pinyin knowledge), early writing (i.e. name writing and Chinese word writ- ing), and EF skills (i.e. inhibitory control, behavioral regulation, and cognitive fexibility). Hierarchical regression and multinomial logistic regression analyses showed that Pinyin knowledge was concurrently and longitudinally associated with Chinese children’s name writing and word writing skills. Reciprocal associations between Pinyin and Chinese name writing was also detected. Among EF skills, inhibitory control was concurrently associated with Chinese name writing skill, while cognitive fexibility was longitudinally associated with Chinese name writing. Findings suggest an important role of Pinyin knowledge in Chi- nese children’s early writing development and point to the importance of examining the con- tribution of domain speci fc EF skills to Chinese early reading and writing development. Keywords Chinese early literacy · Chinese early writing · Executive functions · Writing development · Early childhood literacy * Chenyi Zhang czhang15@gsu.edu * Fuyi Yang fyyang@spe.ecnu.edu.cn 1 Department of Early Childhood and Elementary Education, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA 2 Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA 3 School of Education Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China