Procedure for Assessing Verbal Working Memory in Normal School-Age Children: Some Preliminary Data

Abstract

A procedure for assessing children's recall of lexical items in the presence of a competing language task is described. The Competing Language Processing Task was designed to reflect the dynamic processes carried out in working memory during language comprehension and production by requiring that the subject hold words in temporary storage while analyzing and responding as true or false to statements. The development of the procedure is described and results of testing of 68 normal children ages 6, 8, 10, and 12 years are presented.