Visuospatial and Verbal Short-Term Memory Correlates of Vocabulary Ability in Preschool Children

Background: Recent studies indicate that school-age children’s patterns of performance on measures of verbal and visuospatial short-term memory (STM)and working memory (WM) differ across types of neurodevelopmental disorders. Because these disorders are often characterized by early language delay,administering STM and WM tests to toddlers could improve prediction of neurodevelopmental outcomes.Toddler-appropriate verbal, but not visuospatial, STM and WM tasks are available. A toddler-appropriate visuospatial STM test is introduced.

Methods: Tests of verbal STM, visuospatial STM, expressive vocabulary, and receptive vocabulary were administered to 92 English-speaking children aged 2–5 years.

Results: Mean test scores did not differ for boys and girls. children’s patterns of performance on measures of Visuospatial and verbal STM scores were not significantly verbal and visuospatial short-term memory (STM) correlated when age was partialed out. Age, visuospatial and working memory (WM) differ across types of STM scores, and verbal STM scores accounted for unique neurodevelopmental disorders. Because these disorders variance in expressive (51%, 3%, and 4%, respectively) are often characterized by early language delay, and receptive vocabulary scores (53%, 5%, and 2%, administering STM and WM tests to toddlers could respectively) in multiple regression analyses. improve prediction of neurodevelopmental outcomes. 

Conclusion: Replication studies, a fuller test battery comprising Toddler-appropriate verbal, but not visuospatial, STM visuospatial and verbal STM and WM tests, and a general and WM tasks are available. A toddler-appropriate intelligence test are required before exploring the usefulness visuospatial STM test is introduced. of these STM tests for predicting longitudinal outcomes. Method: Tests of verbal STM, visuospatial STM, expressive The lack of an association between the STM tests suggests vocabulary, and receptive vocabulary were administered that the instruments have face validity and test independent to 92 English-speaking children aged 2–5 years. STM skills.