Memory Processes in Reading Disabled Children

Abstract

For the past several years, the study of memory processes in children with reading disabilities has been a very popular area of inquiry. The goal of most recent research has been to understand why reading disabled children have problems on memory tasks, rather than simply to document the fact that they perform poorly in comparison with children who achieve normally. This month's Topical Review provides a general framework for understanding memory problems in reading disabled children by considering some of the factors that can influence memory performance. This general framework provides a useful background for understanding two important issues in current research: the relationship of memory to general intelligence, and causal relations between memory disabilities and reading failure.—JKT