Sequence Memory and Organization in Recall of Black Third and Fifth Graders

Abstract

Children learning to read rely on basic memory processes. Episodic memory, for example, is involved in decoding letter sequences and differentiating words. Semantic relationships in long-term memory, on the other hand, can organize pictorial material and words in recall. The child's general knowledge and experience also contribute to the constructive processes of reading. According to Chall's stage theory of reading development,' children in the first stage master decoding by relying predominantly on lexical and phonetic cues and not on semantic relationships between words. Only in the next stage, stage two, which is attained by 7-8 years of age or third grade, do children achieve fluidity in reading. The better readers at this stage can go beyond the printed material and focus on semantic relationships. In stage three, an early phase of which is attained by grades four to six, children increasingly shift from decoding to employing cognitive skills to comprehend more abstract and technical content. How competent readers of diverse backgrounds differ from less competent readers in basic cognitive skills such as sequence memory and use of semantic organization in recall is not well understood. The purpose of the present study was to shed light on the relationship of reading competence to the attainment of basic memory skills in Black elementary school-age children. Chall's theory of reading stages would predict that better readers at stage two would rely on semantic knowledge in organization of recall and would differ from poor readers in memory for sequences