NACD Research: The Role of Working Memory in Reading Comprehension

In yet another study in the area of working memory and reading comprehension, evidence has been found to support the key role working memory plays in an individual’s ability to understand what they read. This study, completed by Hannah Pimperton and Kate Nation and published in 2010 in the “Journal of Memory and Language,” found that children with reading comprehension difficulties had poor verbal working memory. The study focused on the ability of the children to hold relevant information in their working memory while discarding irrelevant information. It was found that the children’s ability to hold relevant verbal information in their working memory was a key indicator of reading comprehension abilities.

NACD focuses on the issue of building both short term and working memory skills because we are aware of their global impact on function.