Evaluating the validity of the Automated Working Memory Assessment

The aim of the present study was to investigate the construct stability and diagnostic validity of a standardised computerised tool for assessing working memory: the Automated Working Memory Assessment (AWMA). The purpose of the AWMA is to provide educators with a quick and effective tool to screen for and support those with memory impairments. Findings indicate that working memory skills in children with memory impairments are relatively stable over the course of the school year. There was also a high degree of convergence in performance between the AWMA and the WISC-IV Working Memory Index. The educational implications are discussed

Working Memory, but Not IQ, Predicts Subsequent Learning in Children with Learning Difficulties

The purpose of the present study was to compare the predictive power of working memory and IQ in children identified as having learning difficulties. The term ‘working memory’ refers to the capacity to store and manipulate information in mind for brief periods of time. Working memory capacity is strongly related to learning abilities and academic progress, predicting current and subsequent scholastic attainments of children across the school years in both literacy and numeracy. Children aged between 7 and 11 years were tested at Time 1 on measures of working memory, IQ, and learning. They were then retested two years later on the learning measures. The findings indicated that working memory capacity and domain-specific knowledge at Time 1, but not IQ, were significant predictors of learning at Time 2. The implications for screening and intervention are discussed

The contribution of general language ability, reading comprehension and working memory to mathematics achievement among children with English as additional language (EAL): an exploratory study

An increasing number of high-stakes mathematics standardised tests around the world place an emphasis on using mathematical word problems to assess students’ mathematical understanding. Not only do these assessments require children to think mathematically, but making sense of these tests’ mathematical word problems also brings children’s language ability, reading comprehension and working memory into play. The nature of these test items places a great deal of cognitive demand on all mathematics learners, but particularly on children completing the assessments in a second language that is still developing. This paper reports findings from an exploratory study on the contribution of language to mathematics achievement among 35 children with English as an Additional Language (EAL) and 31 children with English as their first language (FLE). The findings confirm the prominent role of general language ability in the development and assessment of mathematical ability. This variable explained more variance than working memory in word-based mathematics scores for all learners. Significant differences were found between the performance of FLE learners and EAL learners on solving mathematical word-based problems, but not on wordless problems. We conclude that EAL learners need to receive more targeted language support, including help with specific language knowledge needed to understand and solve mathematical word problems

Intelligence and working memory: Contributions to reading fluency, writing and reading comprehension in middle school-age children

Η παρούσα μελέτη διερευνά τη συμβολή της νοημοσύνης και της εργαζόμενης μνήμης στην αναγνωστική ευχέρεια, την ορθογραφία και την κατανόηση γραπτού λόγου σε παιδιά που έχουν ως μητρική γλώσσα τα ελληνικά. Συμμετείχαν 60 παιδιά ηλικίας 8 έως 11.3 χρόνων (Μ.Ο. = 10.12 έτη). Για την εκτίμηση της νοημοσύνης χρησιμοποιήθηκαν ένα έργο εκφραστικού λεξιλογίου και ένα μη-λεκτικό έργο κατασκευής σχεδίων με κύβους. Η εργαζόμενη μνήμη εκτιμήθηκε με ένα έργο απλής λεκτικής συγκράτησης (ανάκληση καταλόγου λέξεων) και ένα έργο ταυτόχρονης συγκράτησης και επεξεργασίας λεκτικών πληροφοριών (ανάκληση λέξεων σε προτάσεις). Αξιολογήθηκαν επίσης η αναγνωστική ευχέρεια, η ορθογραφία και η κατανόηση γραπτών προτάσεων και κειμένων. Οι αναλύσεις πολλαπλής παλινδρόμησης κατά βήμα έδειξαν ότι οι μετρήσεις του λεξιλογίου και της απλής λεκτικής συγκράτησης προέβλεπαν σημαντικά και τις τρεις γλωσσικές μετρήσεις. Αντιθέτως, η μέτρηση της ταυτόχρονης συγκράτησης και επεξεργασίας λεκτικών πληροφοριών δεν επέδειξε προβλεπτική ικανότητα, σε ασυμφωνία με ευρήματα από αγγλόφωνα συνομήλικα παιδιά. Τέλος, αναλύσεις ιεραρχικής παλινδρόμησης έδειξαν κοινή, αλλά και ανεξάρτητη συμβολή των μετρήσεων της απλής λεκτικής συγκράτησης και του λεξιλογίου στην πρόβλεψη όλων των γλωσσικών μεταβλητών. Τα ευρήματα συζητούνται σε σχέση με την ηλικία των παιδιών και τα χαρακτηριστικά της ελληνικής γλώσσας, αναδεικνύοντας την ανάγκη περαιτέρω διαπολιτισμικής διερεύνησης. The present study investigates the contributions of working memory and intelligence to reading fluency, writing and reading comprehension in Greek speaking children. Sixty children aged 8-11.3 (mean age 10.12 years) participated. Children’s intelligence was estimated with a task of expressive vocabulary and a non-verbal task of block design. Their working memory capacity was assessed with a task of simple verbal storage (word list recall) and a task requiring complex storage and processing of verbal information (listening recall). Children were also administered a reading fluency, a writing accuracy, and a reading comprehension task including sentences and short texts. Vocabulary knowledge and simple verbal storage significantly predicted all three language measures in the multiple regression analyses conducted. Nevertheless, the complex storage and processing measure revealed no predictive power, in contrast to evidence from studies with English peers. Finally, hierarchical regression analyses revealed both common and independent contributions of simple storage capacity and vocabulary knowledge to all three language measures. Present findings are discussed in relation to participants’ age and the characteristics of the Greek language, indicating the need for further cross-linguistic investigations

Assessing Working Memory in Spanish-Speaking Children: Automated Working Memory Assessment Adaptation

The Automated Working Memory Assessment battery was designed to assess verbal and visuospatial passive and active working memory processing in children and adolescents. The aim of this paper is to present the adaptation and validation of the AWMA battery to Argentinean Spanish-speaking children aged 6 to 11. years. Verbal subtests were adapted and pilot tested on a small sample (n=26). A validation study was conducted including 6-, 8- and 11-year-old children (n=210). All subtests presented an increase in difficulty as the number of to-be-remembered items raised, and showed high Cronbach's α values. Regarding validity, all subtests had medium to high and significant correlations among them, and with two external measures of working memory (Picture Span and Word Order) and an executive function task (Tower of London); correlations with Block Design were low and non-significant. We conclude that the adapted AWMA can be considered a valid and reliable battery of working memory in Argentinean Spanish-speaking children.Fil: Injoque Ricle, Irene. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Psicología; ArgentinaFil: Calero, Alejandra Daniela. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Psicología. Instituto de Investigaciones; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Alloway, Tracy P.. University of Stirling; Reino UnidoFil: Burin, Debora Ines. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Psicología. Instituto de Investigaciones; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Task-Specific Training, Learning, and Memory for Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder: A Pilot Study

Summary.—This pilot study compared learning and memory profiles of 20 children (55% boys; M age= 7.3 yr, SD=0.4) identified as having learning difficulties as well as either having or suspected of having Developmental Coordination Disorder. Ten children participated in a 13-week program of task-specific motor exercises, while the other 10 received none. Analysis indicated significant improvement for both motor skills and visuospatial working memory in the intervention group; however, this effect did not transfer to reading and math scores. The implications regarding the relationships among motor skills, learning, and memory are discussed in the context of the intervention

Computer Versus Paper-Based Testing: Are They Equivalent When it Comes to Working Memory?

School systems across the country are transitioning from paper-based testing (PBT) to computer-based testing (CBT). As this technological shift occurs, more research is necessary to understand the practical and performance implications of administering CBTs. Currently, there is a paucity of research using CBTs to examine working memory (WM) performance, even though CBTs may negatively influence performance. The present study compared a WM CBT and PBT and found enhanced WM performance on the PBT across several verbal and visuospatial WM tests. This pattern was evident even after age was controlled, indicating that test mode effects were persistent across ages (4-11 years). CBTs on WM performance may yield lower scores due to developmental WM differences, increased cognitive workload, test mode effects stemming from individual access to technology, and participant characteristics, such as developmental, biological, or gender differences. The presence of divergent WM in CBT and PBT indicates the need for additional options for children at risk of academic failure because of testing modality

The diagnostic utility of behavioral checklists in identifying children with ADHD and children with working memory deficits.

The present study investigated whether children with ADHD and those with working memory impairments have a common behavioral profile in the classroom. Three teacher checklists were used: the Conners’ teacher rating scale (CTRS), the behavior rating inventory of executive function (BRIEF), and the working memory rating scale. The Conners’ continuous performance test (CPT) was also included to determine whether there is a correspondence between performance on this widely used cognitive measure of attention deficits and teacher ratings of classroom behavior. All three behavior scales, but not the CPT, were able to successfully discriminate children with ADHD and those with working memory deficits from typically-developing children. Both the CTRS and the BRIEF discriminated a significant proportion of the children with ADHD from those with working memory deficits, indicating that while both groups exhibit behavioral problems in the classroom, they are characterized by differential attention profiles. The children with ADHD were identified on the basis of oppositional and hyperactive behavior, while those with working memory deficits were more inattentive

Children with low working memory and children with ADHD: same or different?

The purpose of this study was to compare working memory (WM), executive function, academic ability, and problem classroom behaviors in children aged 8–11 years who were either identified via routine screening as having low WM, or had been diagnosed with ADHD. Standardized assessments of WM, executive function and reading and mathematics were administered to 83 children with ADHD, 50 children with low WM and 50 typically developing children. Teachers rated problem behaviors on checklists measuring attention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, oppositional behavior, and difficulties associated with executive function in the classroom. The ADHD and low WM groups had highly similar WM and executive function profiles, but were distinguished in two key respects: children with ADHD had higher levels of rated and observed impulsive behavior, and children with low WM had slower response times. Possible mechanisms for these common and distinct deficits are discussed