Effects of working memory capacity training on reading comprehension in Chinese children

Abstract

Objectives: This study examines the relationship between working memory and Chinese reading comprehension in a sample of 57 typically developing Grade 6 students. It investigates whether children’s working memory capacity can be enhanced by a complex span training program, in order to determine the extent to which the benefits of this training can be transferred to reading comprehension.

Methods: Participants were pretested on nonverbal IQ, Chinese word reading, working memory capacity and reading comprehension. They were then randomly assigned to either the training or the active control group. Children in the training group received twelve 20-minute sessions of working memory training, which took place three times a week for four weeks. The training paradigm, including three versions of complex span tasks with verbal and spatial stimuli, was administered on a one-to-one basis. For the training group, trials were administered in an adaptive manner. For the active control group, participants were equally given one-to-one attention, but they performed simpler versions of the tasks without the memory component. Posttests on working memory capacity and reading comprehension were conducted a few days after the training sessions.

Results: Independent-samples t-tests and repeated measures ANOVAs showed that the training group improved significantly more on working memory capacity and reading comprehension when compared with the active control group.

Conclusion: Working memory can be expanded through a complex span training paradigm and the training benefits could be generalized to performance in Chinese reading comprehension. It is suggested that interventions aiming to improve reading should take working memory training into account.