The predictive role of working memory in the alphabetization process by children taking part in the ACERTA project

• Autor(a) principal: Moraes, Lí­gia de Souza Leite
• Data de Publicação: 2020
• Outros Autores: Weissheimer, Janaina
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Revista Colineares
• Texto Completo: https://periodicos.apps.uern.br/index.php/RCOL/article/view/3054
• topic: Working memory; Learning to read; Reading development; Provinha Brasil; Memória de trabalho; Aprendizagem de leitura; Desenvolvimento da leitura; Provinha Brasil

This longitudinal study aims to investigate the relationship between working memory (BADDELEY, 1997; DANEMAN; CARPENTER, 1980; ENGLE, 2002; BADDELEY, 2011) and the development of reading and writing (CABRAL, 1986; FRITH, 1985; EHRI, 2005; DEHAENE, 2009, 2015; among others) in participants in the ACERTA (Evaluation of Children at Risk of Learning Disorder) project. Fifty-seven Elementary School students, enrolled in 6 municipal schools in Natal-RN, Brazil, were submitted to reading and writing tests (copy, dictation, word and pseudo word reading activities) and working memory tests (AWMA – Automated Working Memory Assessment) from 2014 to 2016. The quantitative results obtained by linear regression analysis reveal that the working memory was not able to predict the development of children's reading and writing in any of the four measures proposed in 2016, a fact that does not align with the hypothesis that working memory alone is able to predict the development of literacy skills. Contrary to expectations, the results point to short-term memory instead as a possible predictive variable to the development of participants' reading and writing scores. The proposed discussion aims to shed light on the variables that impact the learning of reading and writing, from a neurocognitive point of view.