Project WorlD
The project WorlD (Working memory and scholastic learning in children with intellectual disabilities) examines two interlinked sets of questions. On the one hand, the significance of the different working memory components for predicting scholastic precursor skills as well as early achievements in reading, writing and calculating in children with intellectual disabilities (ID) is explored. On the other hand, possible explanations are tested for the specific problems children with ID have regarding phonological short-term memory tasks.
Background of the project WorlD
There is substantial evidence that working memory measures are linked to reading, writing and mathematics in typically developing children and that working memory components are impaired in children with specific reading or arithmetic learning disabilities. Besides, there is also strong evidence that the working memory of children with intellectual disabilities (ID) is impaired in comparison to typically developing peers and that their phonological short-term memory might even be impaired in comparison to younger children matched for mental age.
However, the role of poor working memory functioning of children with ID in explaining their difficulties in learning to read, write and calculate is not yet well understood. Only a few studies have so far examined the relationships between working memory components and school achievement in people with ID and respective results vary. There is a lack of studies on working memory and writing or math precursor skills like phonological awareness or quantity number competency for people with ID.
The difference between children with ID and younger children matched for mental age in the performance on phonological short-term memory task might indicate that there is not only a developmental lag for the phonological short-term memory of children with ID, but that the development of this working memory component might differ from the typical development. However, it is still unclear how this difference can be characterized.
Research questions of the project WorlD
Based on the background outlined above, the project WorlD focuses on the following questions:
- How do children with intellectual disabilities (ID) perform in different working memory tasks in comparison to (younger) typically developing children?
- Do the mental processes in phonological short-term memory tasks differ between children with ID and typically developing children matched for mental age? Do children with ID use subvocal rehearsal? Are their word reconstruction processes less efficient?
- How is performance in working memory tasks related to precursor skills for reading, writing and calculating in children with ID?
- How do different working memory components contribute to predicting early achievements in reading, writing and calculating in children with ID?
The project WorlD examines the working memory and its relevance for the acquisition of reading, writing and calculating skills of children with ID. Findings of the project might contribute to the development of working memory training programmes or teaching strategies targeting students with working memory problems.
Research design
WorlD assesses the two main comparison groups in a longitudinal design, for specific questions a further comparison group is added. The participating children with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities attend special needs schools and they were 9 or 10 years old at the beginning of the study. The mental age group was recruited in first grades (age 6 to 7) of mainstream elementary schools.
When the project started in 2009, the participating children worked on tasks assessing precursor skills and were for example asked to recognize rhyming words. In summer 2010, skills in reading, writing and calculating were assessed with standardized school achievement tests. Furthermore, children performed different working memory tasks on the computer on several occasions. The tasks were selected to represent the different components of Baddeley’s working memory model (phonological loop, visuo-spatial sketchpad, central executive) and to examine processes within the phonological loop in detail.
Scientific Coordinators
Prof. Dr. Gerhard Büttner
Sebastian Poloczek, Dipl. Psych.
