ABSTRACT
Reading is a skill that is often taken for granted, and thus the cause of poor word reading is not always clear. Two processing deficits that have been posited as potential causes of poor word reading are poor short-term memory and poor working memory (e.g. Alloway & Alloway, 2010; Jorm, 1983). Short-term memory refers to the ability to store information for a short period of time (around 2 seconds), which can be extended via rehearsal (Baddeley, 2012). For example, it is the ability to remember a friend’s request for “a large, extra hot, double-shot, soy latte with three sugars” until you reach the counter to order. Working memory refers to the ability to both store and manipulate information, or to continue to store information in spite of interference from other
stimuli (Baddeley, 2012). Thus, working memory would allow you to hold the same coffee order in mind while someone in the queue asks you for directions to the nearest train station.
