Word learning and verbal working memory in children with developmental language disorder
- May 13
- 2 min read
Jackson, E., Leitão, S., Claessen, M., & Boyes, M. (2021). Word learning and verbal working memory in children with developmental language disorder. Autism & Developmental Language Impairments, 6,
Key Terms that are in this paper
Form-referent link: the connection between the sound (i.e. the form) of a word and the object it represents (i.e. the referent).
Encoding: the initial process of transferring new information into long-term memory. It depends on verbal working memory to first capture and hold incoming information.
Retention: the ability to consolidate and keep the information in long-term memory over time without further training,
Verbal working memory: a temporary storage system that holds information long enough for the brain to begin encoding it.
Aim of the paper
This study aimed to understand what makes learning words difficult for children with DLD.
People with DLD may struggle with learning this form-meaning connection.
This study looked at the process of learning words over four days.
It aimed to understand which stage of word memorisation (Day 1 encoding, Day 2-3 re-encoding, Day 4 retention) is difficult for children with DLD.
To do this, it tested knowledge of word forms using naming and recognition tasks.
It also tested knowledge of word meanings using a description task
Finally, it tested knowledge of the form-meaning link using an identification task.
The study also aimed to look at how verbal working memory impacts these abilities.
What was found
Children with DLD were good at learning form-meaning links in the identification task.
However, children with DLD struggled with learning word forms and meanings in the naming, recognition, and description tasks.
Specifically, children with DLD and poor verbal working memory performance demonstrated the lowest levels of accuracy on naming and recognition tasks.
Both typically-developing children and children with DLD struggled with the memorisation stage, which was tested four days after learning a word.
What does this mean?
Children with DLD can memorise enough information about a word to match it to its meaning.
However, children with DLD might require high-intensity training with naming and recognising words when they first learn them.
When speech and language therapists are helping children with DLD learn new words, they should monitor their progress of learning within sessions and after a delay (days or weeks) to ensure effective retention.
Where can I read this paper?
You can read this whole paper for free by following this link: https://doi.org/10.1177/23969415211004109
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