EXECUTIVE PROCESSING IN LEARNING-DISABLED READERS

Three experiments determine whether memory difficulties experienced by learning-disabled readers may be attributable, in part, to executive processing. In Experiment 1, learning-disabled readers. matched to ski lled readers on chronological age and reading-comprehension ability, w ere compared on the Concurrent Digit Span measure presented under high (6-digit) and low (3-digit) memory-load conditions as they concurrent ly sorted cards into verbal or nonverbal categories. Experiment 2 util ized the same task as Experiment 1, except that learning-disabled (LD) readers of low and average working-memory capacity were compared with skilled readers of average and high working-memory capacity. Both exp eriments clearly showed that LD readers' performance is depressed unde r high memory-load conditions. Experiment 2 also indicated that overal l performance of non-learning-disabled (NLD) readers was predictable f rom LD readers, suggesting that ability-group differences are related to global processing efficiency rather than to isolated verbal and non verbal systems. In Experiment 3, LD and NLD readers were compared on t heir ability to recall central and secondary information from base and elaborative sentences tasks under high- and low-effort encoding condi tions. LD readers had significantly poorer secondary recall during hig h-effort encoding conditions when compared to skilled readers. Taken t ogether, the results are discussed within a framework that views indiv idual differences in reading comprehension as reflecting, in part, exe cutive processing (i.e., resource monitoring) activities.