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Working Memory and Reading Difficulties: What We Know and What We Don’t Know About the Relationship

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Abstract

This paper examines the role of Working Memory (WM) in developmental reading problems, considering: 1) The operationalization of WM; 2) The unique contribution of WM to reading; 3) Domain-general or -specific explanations of decoding and reading comprehension deficits; and 4) The capacity of WM constructs to distinguish between reading disabilities and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It is concluded that: 1) Significant problems operationalizing working memory measures remain; 2) No clear unique role for WM is evident in longitudinal studies of reading acquisition; 3) Existing evidence concerning the domain-specificity or generality of WM problems is hard to interpret given problems in identification and sampling of poor readers and operationalization of WM constructs; 4) Further work is required to specify the nature of WM problems in samples of poor readers, as distinct from other co-occurring problems such as ADHD. Additional research is suggested to address these issues more fully.

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Acknowledgments

The researching and writing of this paper was supported by a grant from the Social Sciences and Health Research Council of Canada grant number 410-2004-1371 to the first author.

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  1. Faculty of Education, McGill University, 3700 McTavish, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 1Y2, Canada

    Robert Savage, Natalie Lavers & Vanitha Pillay

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  1. Robert Savage
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  2. Natalie Lavers
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Correspondence to Robert Savage.

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Savage, R., Lavers, N. & Pillay, V. Working Memory and Reading Difficulties: What We Know and What We Don’t Know About the Relationship. Educ Psychol Rev 19, 185–221 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-006-9024-1

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