Abstract
We investigated the extent to which working memory and behavioral attention predicted reading and listening comprehension in grades 1 through 3 and, whether their relative contributions differed by modality and grade. Separate grade samples (N = 370; ns = 125, 123, and 122 for grades 1, 2, and 3 respectively) completed multiple measures of word reading, working memory, and parallel measures of reading and listening comprehension. Teachers and parents provided behavioral attention ratings. Concurrently, working memory was more important for listening than for reading comprehension and predicted significant variance in both modalities across grades, after controlling for background measures and behavioral attention ratings. For both modalities, working memory explained the greatest proportion of variance in grade 3. Behavioral attention predicted variance in grades 1 and 2 for reading comprehension and all grades for listening comprehension. Subsidiary analyses demonstrated that the influence of working memory and behavioral attention on reading comprehension was indirect, through word reading and listening comprehension both concurrently and also longitudinally between grades 1–3. These findings indicate that delivery of classroom materials orally will not always be beneficial to the young beginner reader or one who struggles with word decoding, and that children with poor working memory/attention may require additional support to access meaning from both written and spoken text.
Highlights
We build on research that has focused on a ‘cognitive view’ of text comprehension, examining the role of working memory and attention and how they influence reading and listening comprehension in the early grades (Cain & Bignell, 2014; Cain, Oakhill, & Bryant, 2004; Kendeou, van den Broek, Helder, & Karlsson, 2014; Sesma, Mahone, Levine, Eason, & Cutting, 2009)
We investigated the extent to which working memory and behavioral attention predicted reading and listening comprehension in grades 1 through 3 and, whether their relative contributions differed by modality and grade
Our analyses extend the literature in the three important ways: a) we determine the individual and combined contributions of working memory and attention to measures of both reading and listening comprehension; b) we determine if these contributions are consistent or different across grades; and c) we determine if they influence reading comprehension directly, or indirectly through word reading, both concurrently and longitudinally
Summary
We build on research that has focused on a ‘cognitive view’ of text comprehension, examining the role of working memory and attention and how they influence reading and listening comprehension in the early grades (Cain & Bignell, 2014; Cain, Oakhill, & Bryant, 2004; Kendeou, van den Broek, Helder, & Karlsson, 2014; Sesma, Mahone, Levine, Eason, & Cutting, 2009). As we read or listen to text, word meanings are retrieved, they are grouped into meaningful grammatical units, and higher-level language skills such as comprehension monitoring and inference making are engaged to construct a unified and coherent mental model (Kendeou et al 2014; Oakhill & Cain, 2012; Perfetti, Stafura, & Adlof, 2013). These oral language skills are fundamental to successful reading comprehension: Measures of vocabulary and grammar knowledge, and the ability to generate inferences and monitor understanding of text predict concurrent and longitudinal reading comprehension performance (Kendeou, van den Broek, White, & Lynch, 2009; Oakhill & Cain, 2012; Verhoeven & van Leeuwe, 2008) and are associated with poor reading comprehension (Cain & Oakhill, 2006; Catts et al 2006; Nation, Clarke, Marshall, & Durand, 2004)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
