What Role Does Working Memory Play in Primary School Reading Achievement?

Title: What Role Does Working Memory Play in Primary School Reading Achievement?
Description: Working memory (WM) has consistently been related to reading ability, but the precise nature of this relationship remains unclear. This systematic review aims to evaluate the different pathways by which working memory may influence reading. The included papers were categorised into direct, indirect, and hierarchical effect models and presented using a narrative synthesis. The findings suggest that working memory has an indirect impact on reading ability as part of a hierarchical relationship via lower and higher order cognitive abilities. Furthermore, the nature of this relationship changes over time. As skills such as decoding become automatic, the role of WM is reduced and reserved for more complex comprehension. This review sheds light on the relationship between working memory and reading and may help to frame future research into the topic.
Creator: Rogers, Thomas
Subject: working memory; reading comprehension; primary school reading; reading acquisition; executive function
Publisher: CERJ, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge
Date: 2022-11-14T14:46:42Z; 2022-11-14T14:46:42Z; 2022-11-30
Type: Article
Format: application/pdf
Identifier: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/343151; 10.17863/CAM.90563
Language: eng