A Randomized Control Trial of Working Memory Training With and Without Strategy Instruction: Effects on Young Children's Working Memory and Comprehension

Comorbid Word Reading and Mathematics Computation Difficulty at Start of First Grade

The purpose of this analysis was to describe cognitive processes associated with comorbid difficulty between word reading (WR) and mathematics computation (MC) at the start of first grade among children selected for WR and MC delays. A sample of 234 children (mean age 6.50 years, SD = 0.31) was assessed on WR, MC, core cognitive processes (phonological processing, rapid automatized naming, verbal counting [VC]), and domain-general cognitive processes (working memory, oral language, nonverbal reasoning, attentive behavior). Structural equation modeling was used to predict a latent Comorbidity factor, which modeled shared variance between WR and MC, and to identify processes associated with that Comorbidity factor. Results identified each of the core cognitive processes, especially VC, and each of the domain-general cognitive processes, especially working memory, as explaining shared variance between WR and MC. Implications for understanding comorbid difficulty at the start of first grade and designing coordinated first-grade interventions are discussed.

A Pilot Randomized Trial Evaluating the Cool 2 Be Safe Junior Playground Safety Program for Preschool Children

OBJECTIVE

Unintentional injury is the leading cause of death to children worldwide, and playgrounds pose a significant risk of injury. Those aged 5 and 6 years are particularly vulnerable to playground injuries. Previous interventions have typically targeted environmental modifications or increased supervision to reduce playground injuries; however, minimal research has focused on implementing behavioral interventions that seek to change children's safety knowledge and risk-taking behaviors on the playground. The current randomized trial addressed these gaps in the literature and sought to increase preschool children's hazard awareness skills and knowledge of unsafe playground behaviors and decrease their intentions to engage in risk-taking behaviors on the playground.

METHOD

A total of 77 children aged 5 and 6 years were tested at a laboratory on a university campus, using a parallel group design, with 38 randomized to the playground intervention group and 39 randomly assigned to a control group. The intervention was manualized and delivered to small groups of children (3-5) over several sessions.

RESULTS

Statistical analyses revealed significant group differences. Intervention experience led to significant increases in hazard awareness skills and knowledge of unsafe playground behaviors, and significant decreases in children's risk-taking behavioral intentions, whereas those in the control group showed no significant changes in these scores. Attention scores for those in the intervention group highlighted that the program content was successful in maintaining children's attention and engagement, and memory scores indicated excellent retention of lesson content.

CONCLUSION

The program shows promise in addressing the issue of unintentional playground injuries in young children.

Sketch and Speak Expository Intervention for Adolescents: A Single-Case Experiment via Telepractice

PURPOSE

This study investigated the effects of Sketch and Speak strategy intervention on expressive and receptive expository discourse for adolescents with language-related learning disabilities (LLD).

METHOD

Three participants completed baseline and twelve 45- to 60-min individual treatment sessions in a multiple-baseline across participants design. In treatment, participants learned to take notes using pictography and conventional bulleted notes, orally generate sentences from their notes, and orally practice full sentences and oral reports. Session tests with varied levels of instructional support were used to collect outcome data on free-recall oral reports, short-answer question responses, and participant notes. A distal, age- referenced expository task and social validity questionnaires were administered pre-/postintervention.

RESULTS

Visual and statistical analyses revealed significant effects of treatment on the primary outcome measure of Oral Report Quality and on secondary outcomes of Note Quantity and Quality. There was no significant effect of treatment on Short-Answer Recall questions. Two participants generalized strategies during the treatment phase to independent performance on Oral Reports and one improved on Note Quality. All three participants improved on the distal expository measure. Social validity questionnaires showed participant awareness and buy-in of taught strategies, with potential for generalization at the high school level.

CONCLUSIONS

These adolescent students benefited from explicit instruction in note-taking strategies and systematic oral practice of expository discourse even within the challenging delivery setting of telepractice. This study provides evidence for the use of Sketch and Speak expository intervention with adolescents with LLD to improve comprehension and expression of grade-level material.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.23681505.

Executive Functions Training for 7- to 10-Year-Old Students With Mathematics Difficulty: Instant Effects and 6-Month Sustained Effects

Executive function (EF) training has shown promise for remedying general EF deficiencies faced by students with mathematics difficulty (MD) and for improving their performance. However, latest research also suggests that the instant and sustained effects of EF training remain inconsistent. In this study, 32 Chinese students with MD, age 7 to 10 years, were recruited and randomly divided into two groups: the training group (n = 16, 25 training sessions) and the control group (n = 16). Both groups took a pretest, a posttest, and a follow-up test (after 6 months) on EF, fluid intelligence, and mathematics skills. In the posttest, the training group's performance significantly improved in 2-back, number shifting, letter shifting, calculation fluency, and mathematics problem-solving tasks, but not in Stroop, Flanker, 1-back, numerical operations, and colored progressive matrices tasks. In the follow-up test after 6 months, the effects of training only on the 2-back and letter shifting tasks were sustained. The effect on the numerical operations task appeared; however, the effects on number shifting, calculation fluency, and mathematics problem-solving tasks disappeared. The results of this study show that EF training has instant effects of improving EF and mathematics skills of students with MD, and 6-month sustained effects on some of the improved skills. However, for fluid intelligence, the effects may be very limited.

Generalization of Skill for a Working Memory Recognition Procedure in Children: The Benefit of Starting with Easy Materials

When children practice a new task, they need to learn both the task procedure and the materials tested. It is often unclear if improvements with practice reflect learning of the task procedure or familiarity with the materials. We sought to examine learning of the task procedure by switching from one set of materials to another in a working memory recognition task. We recruited 70 children (34 female, M = 11.27 years, SD = 0.62, ranging from 10.08 to 12.39) in the United States who were to remember sequences of orientations and of shapes for recognition immediately following the list. Half of the children began with orientation, an easier task, and the other half began with difficult-to-name shapes, a harder task. When children began with the easier task, the acquisition of the recognition task skill in the easy condition transferred to the more difficult task, optimizing the mean performance across tasks. Transfer was less potent when children began with the more difficult task. The results showed that sufficient practice is crucial to avoid poor initial performance, which might be important for the student’s rate of progress and task engagement.

Embedding Executive Function Training Into Early Literacy Instruction for Dual Language Learners: A Pilot Study

PURPOSE

Early literacy skills are key indicators of future reading development for young dual language learners (DLLs). Additionally, emerging evidence indicates that young children's executive function (EF) skills are uniquely associated with elementary school reading outcomes (Ribner et al., 2017). Therefore, the purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the potential for embedding strategies to support EF development within evidence-based early language and literacy instruction for young DLLs.

METHOD

Sixty-nine preschool DLLs were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups: a business-as-usual control group (BAU), a group that received early literacy instruction only (EL group), and a group that received early literacy instruction with embedded EF strategies (EL + EF group). The intervention focused on improving children's early literacy skills, including letter-name knowledge, phonological awareness, and oral language. Children completed assessments of early literacy and EF immediately before and after the intervention.

RESULTS

The EL and EL + EF groups significantly outperformed the BAU control group for two early literacy outcomes, and effects of evidence-based early literacy instruction were strongest for children with poor EF skills. Results indicated that there were no significant differences between the EL + EF and EL groups.

CONCLUSIONS

This pilot study indicated that there was no significant benefit to adding supports for EF skills within evidence-based early literacy instruction. Additional research is needed with larger samples to replicate observed effects.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.21834465.

Impact of a cognitive stimulation program on the reading comprehension of children in primary education

Introduction

At present, numerous studies can be found in which influences and relationships between the principal executive functions, reading comprehension, and academic performance associated with reading are reported. However, there is still a lack of convergence regarding the impact of computerized cognitive training on children's executive development and its transfer in academic reading performance and comprehension of written texts.

Methods

This study analyzes the effect of implementing a cognitive stimulation program on the performance of reading comprehension and academic performance in the subject of Spanish Language and Literature. To this end, a total sample of 196 children from 23 educational centers received the cognitive intervention for 8 weeks, with three weekly sessions of between 15 and 20 min each occurring on non-consecutive days. Pre-test and post-test measurements were collected and analyzed.

Results

The results demonstrate a significant increase in the reading comprehension scores. In addition, a significant impact of the training on the participants' academic performance in the subject Spanish Language and Literature was found.

Discussion

These results highlight the usefulness of computerized cognitive stimulation programs for reading comprehension enhancement.

A Short and Engaging Adaptive Working-Memory Intervention for Children with Developmental Language Disorder: Effects on Language and Working Memory

Recent research has suggested that working-memory training interventions may benefit children with developmental language disorder (DLD). The current study investigated a short and engaging adaptive working-memory intervention that targeted executive skills and aimed to improve both language comprehension and working-memory abilities in children with DLD. Forty-seven 6- to 10-year-old children with DLD were randomly allocated to an executive working-memory training intervention (n = 24) or an active control group (n = 23). A pre-test/intervention/post-test/9-month-follow-up design was used. Outcome measures included assessments of language (to evaluate far transfer of the training) and working memory (to evaluate near transfer of the training). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses controlling for pre-intervention performance and age found the group to be a significant predictor of sentence comprehension and of performance on six untrained working-memory measures at post-intervention and 9-month follow-up. Children in the intervention group showed significantly higher language comprehension and working-memory scores at both time points than children in the active control group. The intervention programme showed the potential to improve working memory and language comprehension in children with DLD and demonstrated several advantages: it involved short sessions over a short period, caused little disruption in the school day, and was enjoyed by children.

Sharpening, focusing, and developing: A study of change in nonsymbolic number comparison skills and math achievement in 1st grade

Children's ability to discriminate nonsymbolic number (e.g., the number of items in a set) is a commonly studied predictor of later math skills. Number discrimination improves throughout development, but what drives this improvement is unclear. Competing theories suggest that it may be due to a sharpening numerical representation or an improved ability to pay attention to number and filter out non-numerical information. We investigate this issue by studying change in children's performance (N = 65) on a nonsymbolic number comparison task, where children decide which of two dot arrays has more dots, from the middle to the end of 1st grade (mean age at time 1 = 6.85 years old). In this task, visual properties of the dot arrays such as surface area are either congruent (the more numerous array has more surface area) or incongruent. Children rely more on executive functions during incongruent trials, so improvements in each congruency condition provide information about the underlying cognitive mechanisms. We found that accuracy rates increased similarly for both conditions, indicating a sharpening sense of numerical magnitude, not simply improved attention to the numerical task dimension. Symbolic number skills predicted change in congruent trials, but executive function did not predict change in either condition. No factor predicted change in math achievement. Together, these findings suggest that nonsymbolic number processing undergoes development related to existing symbolic number skills, development that appears not to be driving math gains during this period. Children's ability to discriminate nonsymbolic number improves throughout development. Competing theories suggest improvement due to sharpening magnitude representations or changes in attention and inhibition. The current study investigates change in nonsymbolic number comparison performance during first grade and whether symbolic number skills, math skills, or executive function predict change. Children's performance increased across visual control conditions (i.e., congruent or incongruent with number) suggesting an overall sharpening of number processing. Symbolic number skills predicted change in nonsymbolic number comparison performance.

Training-induced improvement in working memory tasks results from switching to efficient strategies

It is debated whether training with a working memory (WM) task, particularly n-back, can improve general WM and reasoning skills. Most training studies found substantial improvement in the trained task, with little to no transfer to untrained tasks. We hypothesized that training does not increase WM capacity, but instead provides opportunities to develop an efficient task-specific strategy. We derived a strategy for the task that optimizes WM resources and taught it to participants. In two sessions, 14 participants who were taught this strategy performed as well as fourteen participants who trained for 40 sessions without strategy instructions. To understand the mechanisms underlying the no-instruction group's improvement, participants answered questionnaires during their training period. Their replies indicate that successful learners discovered the same strategy and their improvement was associated with this discovery. We conclude that n-back training allows the discovery of strategies that enable better performance with the same WM resources.

Examining the Influence of Interactions Between Early Reading Skills and Executive Functioning on Second Grade Reading Achievement

Questions still exist about the interplay between foundational literacy components and budding cognitive structures that are thought to influence advanced reading abilities. Understanding interactions between executive functions (EFs) and specific early reading skills could contribute to our understanding of later reading achievement. The present study used multilevel modeling to examine whether EFs (i.e., working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibition) moderate the relation between various early reading skills in kindergarten and second grade reading achievement in a sample of 18,174 participants from the ECLS: K-2011 database. Our findings suggested that early teacher-rated reading skills are related to second grade reading abilities. Both working memory and inhibition were important moderators for reading independently in kindergarten and are associated with later reading achievement in second grade. Research implications and the importance of understanding the intersection of cognitive processes and learning in early childhood are discussed.

Strategy mediation in working memory training in younger and older adults

Working memory (WM) training with the N-Back task has been argued to improve cognitive capacity and general cognitive abilities (the Capacity Hypothesis of training), although several studies have shown little or no evidence for such improvements beyond tasks that are very similar to the trained task. Laine et al. demonstrated that instructing young adult participants to use a specific visualisation strategy for N-back training resulted in clear, generalised benefits from only 30 min of training (Strategy Mediation Hypothesis of training). Here, we report a systematic replication and extension of the Laine et al. study, by administering 60 younger and 60 older participants a set of WM tasks before and after a 30-min N-back training session. Half the participants were instructed to use a visualisation strategy, the others received no instruction. The pre-post test battery encompassed a criterion task (digit N-back), two untrained tasks N-back tasks (letters and colours), and three structurally different WM tasks. The instructed visualisation strategy significantly boosted at least some measures of N-back performance in participants of both age groups, although the strategy generally appeared more difficult to implement and less beneficial for older adults. However, the strategy did not improve performance on structurally different WM tasks. We also found significant associations between N-back performance and the type and level of detail of self-generated strategies in the uninstructed participants, as well as age group differences in reported strategy types. WM performance appeared to partly reflect the application of strategies, and Strategy Mediation should be considered to understand the mechanisms of WM training. Claims of efficient training should demonstrate useful improvement beyond task-specific strategies.

Changes in Error Patterns during N-back Training Indicate Reliance on Subvocal Rehearsal

Contemporary cognitive training literature suggests that training on an adaptive task produces improvements only in the trained task or near transfer effects. No study has yet systematically explained the mechanism behind improved performance on the N-back. In this study, we first investigated how improvements in an N-back task using eight pairs of phonologically similar words as stimuli occurred by examining error distributions of the task over training sessions. Nineteen participants (non-native English speakers) trained for 20 sessions over 5 weeks. We observed a reduction in false alarms to non-target words and fewer missed target words. Though the absolute number of phonological-based errors reduced as training progressed, the proportion of this error type did not decrease over time suggesting participants increasingly relied on subvocal rehearsal in completing the N-back. In the second experiment, we evaluated if improvements developed during N-back training transferred to tasks that relied on serial order memory using simple span tasks (letter span with phonologically distinct letters, letter span with phonologically similar letters, digit span forward, and digit span backward). Twenty-nine participants trained on the N-back and 16 trained on the Operation Span (OSPAN) for 15 sessions over 4 weeks. Neither group of participants showed improvements on any of the simple span tasks. In the third experiment, 20 participants (16 native English speakers) trained on the N-back for 15 sessions over 4 weeks also showed increasing reliance on subvocal rehearsal as they progressed through training. Self-report strategy use did not predict improvements on the N-back.

The visual memory development technique: A remedial and pre-reading activity to enhance EFL learners' motivation

This longitudinal study examined the effect of the Visual Memory Development Technique (VMDT) on the motivation of students with low proficiency to read in the EFL context. The sample population consisted of 64 Preparatory Year (PY) students at Najran University. All 64 students were given the Motivation for Reading in English Questionnaire (MREQ) to measure their motivation to read prior to the treatment (VMDT). The 64 students were divided into an experimental and a control group. Both groups received instructions for reading with their traditional remedial materials, but the experimental group's instruction was supplemented by the addition of the VMDT at the beginning of each reading class for twelve lessons over a six-week period. An exit slip was given to the students at the end of each lesson. After six weeks, the MREQ was administered to both groups to measure the change in the students' motivation to read in the English language. The results of the quantitative tool (MREQ) were analyzed via SPSS (Ver.16) and Excel (Ver. 2013), and the findings of the qualitative tools (experimentation and exit slips) were collected and analyzed using a thematic approach. The post-test result for the MREQ showed a significant difference in students' motivations (F = 10, 21, p < 05). Based on the results, the students in the reading group that was given the VMDT at the beginning of the class showed increased motivation to read in the English language inside the classroom; suggestions and pedagogical implications are presented accordingly.

Readers Recruit Executive Functions to Self-Correct Miscues During Oral Reading Fluency

Reading fluency undoubtedly underlies reading competence; yet, the role of executive functions (EF) is less well understood. Here, we investigated the relationship between children's reading fluency and EF. Children's (n = 82) reading and language performance was determined by standardized assessments and EF by parental questionnaire. Results revealed that production of more miscues was explained by poorer reading and language performance and EF. Yet, self-correcting a miscue was predicted by better EF, beyond reading and language abilities. Intriguingly, EF partially mediated the relationship between reading and self-correction, suggesting that self-correction reflects parallel recruitment and coordination of domain-specific and domain-general processes.

Longitudinal relations between verbal working memory and reading in students from diverse linguistic backgrounds

The current research tracked kindergarteners into Grade 4 to investigate the longitudinal relations between reading and verbal working memory (VWM). The samples for investigation included the overall weighted sample, English monolingual (EL1) learners, language minority learners with high English proficiency (HP-LM), and language minority learners with persistently low English proficiency (LP-LM). We first investigated the growth factor relation between VWM and reading and then examined the cross-lagged relations between the two skills in different groups. Results suggested that VWM and reading growth could be separated into the initial phase (kindergarten to Grade 1) and the consolidation phase (end of Grade 1 to Grade 4). Despite the growth rate relation between VWM and reading starting to decline at the consolidation phase for EL1 and HP-LM learners, a moderate growth rate relation was able to remain for LP-LM learners. However, the effects of early VWM on later reading were either small (βs ≤ 0.15) or nonsignificant. In addition, the earlier reading skills were not predictive of later VWM. We suggest that the bidirectional relation between VWM and reading is a codevelopment process rather than a causal factor of each other. However, the process of acquiring basic reading skills and the shaping of VWM influence each other irrespective of linguistic background. Implications for intervention and suggestions for future research are provided.

Executive Function: Association with Multiple Reading Skills

Executive function (EF) is related to reading. However, there is a lack of clarity around (a) the relative contribution of different components of EF to different reading components (word reading, fluency, comprehension), and (b) how EF operates in the context of known strong language predictors (e.g., components of the Simple View of Reading or SVR), and other skills theoretically related to reading (e.g., vocabulary, processing speed) and/or to EF (e.g., short-term memory, motor function). In a large sample of 3rd to 5th graders oversampled for struggling readers, this paper evaluates the impact of EF derived from a bifactor model (Cirino, Ahmed, Miciak, Taylor, Gerst, & Barnes, 2018) in the context of well-known covariates and demographics. Beyond common EF, five specific factors (two related to working memory, and factors of fluency, self-regulated learning, and behavioral inattention/metacognition) were addressed. EF consistently showed a unique contribution to already-strong predictive models for all reading outcomes; for reading comprehension, EF interacted with SVR indices (word reading and listening comprehension). The findings extend and refine our understanding of the contribution of EF to reading skill.

Considering the Role of Executive Function in Reading Comprehension: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

In the present study, we used latent variable structural equation modeling to investigate relations between oral language, decoding, and two components of executive function (cognitive flexibility and working memory) and reading comprehension in a sample of 271 native English-speaking 9.00- to 14.83-year-olds. Results of the mediation analyses indicated that both oral language and decoding fully mediated the relations between working memory and cognitive flexibility and reading comprehension. These findings suggest that executive function is likely associated with reading comprehension through its relation with decoding and oral language and provide additional support for the role of executive function in reading comprehension as a potentially crucial precursor to skilled reading.

Individual differences in math problem solving and executive processing among emerging bilingual children

This study identified cognitive processes that underlie individual differences in working memory (WM) and mathematical problem-solving accuracy in emerging bilingual children (English learners). A battery of tests was administered in both English and Spanish that assessed problem solving, achievement, and cognitive processing in children in first grade (n = 155), second grade (n = 129), and third grade (n = 110). The results were that (a) the executive component of WM predicted solution accuracy of word problems independent of first language and second language measures of vocabulary, reading, domain-specific knowledge (e.g., calculation, estimation), and short-term memory and (b) first language (Spanish) measures of the executive component of WM and magnitude comparisons were major predictors of math problem-solving accuracy in both languages. The results support the notion that the executive system of WM is a unique predictor of emerging bilingual children's math problem-solving accuracy in both languages.

Interventions targeting working memory in 4-11 year olds within their everyday contexts: A systematic review

It has been suggested that diverse interventions applied within children's everyday contexts have the potential to improve working memory (WM) and produce transfer to real-world skills but little is known about the effectiveness of these approaches. This review aims to examine systematically the effectiveness of non-computerised interventions with 4-11 year olds to identify: (i) their effects on WM; (ii) whether benefits extend to near- and far-transfer measures; (iii) if gains are sustained over time; (iv) the active ingredients; and (v) the optimum dosage. Searches were conducted across 12 electronic databases using consistent keywords. Papers were screened by title and abstract (n = 6212) and judged against pre-defined eligibility criteria (n = 63). Eighteen papers were included in the review. They used a range of non-computerised WM intervention approaches that included: (i) adapting the environment to reduce WM loads; (ii) direct WM training with and without strategy instruction; and (iii) training skills which may indirectly impact on WM (physical activity, phonological awareness, fantastical play and inhibition). Both direct training on WM tasks and practicing certain skills that may impact indirectly on WM (physical activity, fantastical play and inhibition) produced improvements on WM tasks, with some benefits for near-transfer activities. The common ingredient across effective interventions was the executive-loaded nature of the trained task i.e., training on a task that taps into attentional and processing resources under executive control and not just the storage of information. Few studies reported dosage effects, measured far-transfer effects (n = 4), or tested the durability of gains over time (n = 4). The lack of a clear theoretical framework in many of the included studies resulted in ambiguous predictions about training and transfer effects, and inadequate use of outcome measures. Methodological issues also constrain the strength of the evidence, including: small samples sizes; an absence of blinding of participant and outcome assessors; and lack of active control groups. Further well-designed and controlled studies with clear theoretical underpinnings are required to expand and enhance the evidence base. The heterogeneity of the interventions and of the study designs (randomised and non-randomised) in the included papers limited the synthesis of evidence across studies. However, this diversity enabled the identification of key ingredients, notably the training of executive-loaded WM tasks, which can help inform novel approaches to WM intervention in everyday contexts.

Executive Functions and Response to Intervention: Identification of Students Struggling with Reading Comprehension

Inadequate responders demonstrate significant risk for learning disabilities. Previous investigations of the cognitive profiles of inadequate and adequate responders have not included measures of executive functions (EF), which have well-documented associations to reading comprehension. We evaluated EF performance on a common factor comprised of shared variance across tasks as well as five separable EF factors in the context of an intensive reading intervention for struggling fourth graders. To determine if EF performance at pretest is associated with subsequent responder status, we compared EF performance of three subgroups of students: inadequate and adequate responders and typical students not at-risk for reading disabilities. Results of discriminant function analyses and linear regression models comparing groups were largely null; EF performance at pretest demonstrated only small associations with responder status. These results suggest that the assessment of EF may have limited value in predicting which individual students will respond to intensive reading interventions.

A Longitudinal Analysis of the Trajectories and Predictors of Word Reading and Reading Comprehension Development Among At-Risk Readers

This study explored the developmental trajectories and predictors of word reading and reading comprehension among young at-risk readers. In fall of first grade, 185 students identified as at-risk for reading difficulties were assessed on measures of domain-specific skills (phonological awareness, letter knowledge, and vocabulary), domain-general skills (working memory, nonverbal reasoning, and processing speed), and word reading and reading comprehension. Word reading and reading comprehension were assessed again in spring of grades 1-4. Individual growth curve modeling showed that the children demonstrated decelerated growth on word reading and linear growth on reading comprehension, although their performance on both word reading and reading comprehension were consistently below average on national norms. After controlling for word reading and reading comprehension in first grade, letter knowledge predicted growth in word reading; vocabulary and nonverbal reasoning predicted growth in reading comprehension. That is, we found different developmental trajectories and different predictors for word reading and reading comprehension among our at-risk sample. Implications are discussed for theory and early reading instruction for at-risk children.

A Longitudinal Analysis of the Trajectories and Predictors of Word Reading and Reading Comprehension Development Among At-Risk Readers

This study explored the developmental trajectories and predictors of word reading and reading comprehension among young at-risk readers. In fall of first grade, 185 students identified as at-risk for reading difficulties were assessed on measures of domain-specific skills (phonological awareness, letter knowledge, and vocabulary), domain-general skills (working memory, nonverbal reasoning, and processing speed), and word reading and reading comprehension. Word reading and reading comprehension were assessed again in spring of grades 1-4. Individual growth curve modeling showed that the children demonstrated decelerated growth on word reading and linear growth on reading comprehension, although their performance on both word reading and reading comprehension were consistently below average on national norms. After controlling for word reading and reading comprehension in first grade, letter knowledge predicted growth in word reading; vocabulary and nonverbal reasoning predicted growth in reading comprehension. That is, we found different developmental trajectories and different predictors for word reading and reading comprehension among our at-risk sample. Implications are discussed for theory and early reading instruction for at-risk children.

Relationship between phonological working memory, metacognitive skills and reading comprehension in children with learning disabilities

PURPOSE

Reading requires the activation of several cognitive processes, some of which are basic, e.g. recognizing letters and words, whereas others are complex, such as working memory and ability to think about one's own learning strategies. One condition for fulfilling a complex cognitive task, such as understanding a text, is the ability to maintain and process information, which depends on working memory.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the ability of using metacognitive strategies for reading, the phonological working memory of school children with learning disabilities, and also determine if there is relation between these skills and reading comprehension.

METHOD

The sample consisted of 30 school-age children and teenagers of both genders, aged 8 to 12 years, who were enrolled in primary school. They were divided in two groups, experimental (EG) and control (CG). All children were subjected to evaluation of reading comprehension, phonological working memory, and use of metacognitive skills for reading. The results were compared between groups through the Mann-Whitney test, and correlation between variables was analyzed through Spearman correlation test.

RESULT

Statistical comparison between EG and CG showed statistically significant difference. Positive and effective correlation was observed between reading comprehension, phonological working memory and metacognitive tests.

CONCLUSION

children with learning disabilities presented deficits in phonological working memory and use of metacognitive strategies. The positive and effective correlation between the abilities analyzed suggests that failure in the phonological working memory and use of metacognitive strategies interfere with reading comprehension.

Pull the Andon Rope on Working Memory Capacity Interventions Until We Know More

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to discuss the current state of interventions for improving working memory (WM) capacity language and academic skills and to provide suggestions for speech-language pathologists working with students who have WM capacity limitations.

Method

Meta-analyses, systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials, and nonrandomized comparison studies investigating the role of WM interventions for improving WM capacity language and academic skills are reviewed. Strategies for improving WM are discussed.

Results

The use of interventions designed to improve WM capacity and other cognitive skills is currently not supported by the research. Direct WM interventions should be considered to be experimental at this time. Such interventions require further investigation before they are used regularly for children with developmental language disorders.

Discussion

Clinicians and practitioners should look to already established interventions for improving how students with developmental language disorders utilize organizational strategies and other well-researched methods for improving their cognitive and academic functioning in functional contexts.

Training working memory updating in Parkinson's disease: A randomised controlled trial

Frontostriatal dysfunction in Parkinson's disease (PD) increases the risk for working memory (WM) impairment and depression, calling for counteractive measures. Computerised cognitive rehabilitation is a promising option, but targeted training protocols are lacking and lab-based training can be demanding due to the repeated visits. This study tested the feasibility and efficacy of home-based computerised training targeting mainly WM updating in PD. Fifty-two cognitively well-preserved PD patients were randomised to a WM training group and an active control group for five weeks of training (three 30-min sessions per week). WM training included three computerised adaptive WM tasks (two updating, one maintenance). The outcomes were examined pre- and post-training with trained and untrained WM tasks, tasks tapping other cognitive domains, and self-ratings of executive functioning and depression. Home-based training was feasible for the patients. The training group improved particularly on the updating training tasks, and showed posttest improvement on untrained WM tasks structurally similar to the trained ones. Moreover, their depression scores decreased compared to the controls. Our study indicates that patients with mild-to-moderate PD can self-administer home-based computerised WM training, and that they yield a similar transfer pattern to untrained WM tasks as has been observed in healthy older adults.

[Verbal and visual-spatial memory in Chinese children with developmental dyslexia]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the abilities of verbal and visual-spatial memory in Chinese children with developmental dyslexia.

METHODS

Thirty-two children with developmental dyslexia (aged 8-12 years) and thirty-nine age- and gender-matched normal children were involved in the study. Their verbal short-term and verbal working memories were measured using the digit ordering and the digit span tests, respectively. Their visual-spatial short-term and visual-spatial working memories were examined using the forward and backward block-tapping tests, respectively.

RESULTS

The DD children scored lower in the digit ordering and the digit span tests than the control children (P&lt;0.05). The scores for the forward and backward block-tapping tests did not vary between the two groups (P&gt;0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The children with DD have the deficits in both verbal short-term memory and verbal working memory.

The early effects of external and internal strategies on working memory updating training

The mechanisms underlying working memory training remain unclear, but one possibility is that the typically limited transfer effects of this training reflect adoption of successful task-specific strategies. Our pre-registered randomized controlled trial (N = 116) studied the early effects of externally given vs. internally generated strategies in an updating task (n-back) over a 5-day period with a single 30-minute training session. Three groups were employed: n-back training with strategy instruction (n = 40), n-back training without strategy instruction (n = 37), and passive controls (n = 39). We found that both external and internal strategy use was associated with significantly higher posttest performance on the trained n-back task, and that training with n-back strategy instruction yielded positive transfer on untrained n-back tasks, resembling the transfer pattern typically seen after the ordinary uninstructed 4–6-week working memory training. In the uninstructed participants, the level of detail and type of internally generated n-back strategies at posttest was significantly related to their posttest n-back performance. Our results support the view that adoption of task-specific strategies plays an important role in working memory training outcomes, and that strategy-based effects are apparent right at the start of training.

Effect of Working Memory Updating Training on Retrieving Symptoms of Children With Learning Disabilities

Working memory (WM) deficiency is a primary reason for the poor academic performance of children with learning disabilities (LDs). Studies have shown that the WM of typical children could be improved through training, and WM training contributes to improving their fluid intelligence and academic achievement. However, few studies have investigated WM training for children with LDs, and results have been inconsistent. The present study examined the long-term effects of WM updating training and whether it can mitigate LD symptoms. Fifty-four children with LDs were recruited and divided randomly into a training or control group. The training group underwent adaptive running WM training for 20 days. Before and after training, the 2 groups completed a 2-back task, a digit span task (forward and backward), Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices test, and a scholastic attainment test (Chinese and math). The tests were repeated 6 months later. The results showed that, as compared with the controls, the training group exhibited significant improvements in the digit backward span task, 2-back task, and Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices. The math scores of the training group improved significantly by 6 months after the training. The results of this study suggest that WM updating training could mitigate the cognitive deficits of LDs and improve the WM capacity, fluid intelligence, and math scores of children with LDs. Moreover, the training effects could be maintained for at least 6 months.