Working memory resources in children: stability and relation to subsequent academic skills

Abstract

<p>This study aimed to investigate the extent to which WM measured in kindergarten predicts<br />WM measured in second grade (stability of individual WM progress), and the extent to which<br />WM measured at kindergarten predicts academic performance at second grade (N = 94). The<br />results showed that WM skills significantly increase during the time span from Finnish<br />kindergarten to second grade. Verbal (VWM) and visuospatial WM (VSWM) resources seem<br />to develop quite independently, whereas individual progress showed some stability. WM<br />resources measured just before the start of formal school predicted later academic<br />performance, and VWM acted as more powerful predictor than VSWM resources. The results<br />have two important educational implications: first, individual or group-based intervention<br />designed to enhance children’s WM skills would be most important even before the start of<br />school, and second, poor WM skills should be addressed when planning the learning<br />environment beginning in kindergarten.<br /></p>