Language, Literacy, & Learning

One of the largest challenges in education is promoting oral language development. Challenge with vocabulary learning is manifested very early in life when children start talking and the gap widens over time. This does not bode well for the low SES population as vocabulary is a key skill in higher-order oral language skills and literacy skills. Not surprisingly, children from low SES backgrounds score one standard deviation below the average in the national assessment of reading. This ominous reality behooves us to identify ways to support vocabulary development for children. In the proposed project, we examine whether working memory training has an impact on vocabulary learning and whether combining working memory training with direct vocabulary instruction has an additive or multiplicative effect on vocabulary learning. In this project, we are developing a working memory training module and vocabulary instruction, and are examining whether training on working memory improves vocabulary learning.

Enhancing Vocabulary & Working Memory