Relationship between working memory and early school performance
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70577/asce.v5i2.798Keywords:
Working Memory; School Performance; Early Childhood Education; Cognition; Reading; MathematicsAbstract
This study analyzed the relationship between working memory components and early academic performance in first-grade elementary school students. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional, correlational-predictive design, a sample of 148 children (6 to 7 years old) was assessed. Working memory, both verbal and visuospatial, was measured using the AWMA battery, while instrumental performance in reading and mathematics was evaluated with the standardized tests of the WJ-III battery. Through hierarchical multiple linear regression models, and controlling for variables such as chronological age and socioeconomic status, the results showed that working memory explains between 30% and 34% of the total variance in academic performance. Specifically, a functional predictive dissociation was found: verbal working memory emerged as the main predictor of reading performance, while visuospatial working memory acted as the dominant predictor for early mathematical calculation. It is concluded that working memory is a fundamental cognitive pillar that transcends the impact of traditional sociodemographic variables. These findings empirically support the multicomponent cognitive model in early childhood and underscore the urgent need to implement pedagogical methodologies focused on regulating cognitive load in the classroom, with the aim of preventing early school failure.
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