Working Memory Development and Math Outcomes: A Longitudinal Study from Preschool to Second Grade

• In Event: Poster Session 20
  In Poster Session: Division E Human Development Poster Session

Abstract

This 4-year longitudinal study investigated whether a) children who attended preschool for an additional year prior to entering Kindergarten varied from their younger preschool-aged peers in rates of working memory (WM) and phonological short term memory (STM) growth and b) whether growth in a working memory executive system and/or phonological short term memory predicted individual differences in mathematics achievement in primary grades. The findings showed a verbal WM executive system underlies memory-mathematics performance. Also, an extra year in preschool did not accelerate, nor did it impede, developmental growth in a general WM or phonological STM system for study-children who remained in preschool for an additional year. The children also performed comparably to their younger peers on measures of mathematics achievement.

Authors

• Maureen Hoskyn, Simon Fraser University

• Souad Abdelhadi, Simon Fraser University

• Seanna Takacs, Simon Fraser University

• Irina Tzoneva, Simon Fraser University