
One of the most reliable and often-quoted associated characteristics of developmental dyslexia is an inefficiency in short-term memory (STM).
A deficit in STM, together with rapid naming, has been mainly interpreted within the phonological core deficit hypothesis (Trecy, Steve & Martine, 2013; Elliott & Grigorenko, 2014). Verbal STM capacity, measured by digit span or non-word repetition tasks, is typically reduced in children with dyslexia (Snowling, Goulandris & Defty, 1996), and this reduction is still present in adults with a history of dyslexia (Majerus & Cowan, 2016).
Ramus and Szenkovits (2008), however, raised the question whether STM deficits in dyslexia are perhaps a basic impairment, rather than being accounted for by phonological processing difficulties.
In an attempt to answer this question, Trecy, Steve and Martine (2013) distinguished between item and order retention processes. While STM for item information has been shown to depend on the quality of underlying phonological representations, and hence should be impaired in dyslexia, STM for order information is considered to reflect core STM processes independent from language processing.
In their study 30 adults with dyslexia and 30 control participants were matched for age, education, vocabulary and IQ, and presented with STM tasks that distinguished item and order STM capacities. The researchers observed not only impaired order STM in adults with dyslexia, but this impairment was independent of item STM impairment.
This study shows that adults with dyslexia present a deficit in core verbal STM processes, a deficit which cannot be accounted for by the language processing difficulties that characterize dyslexia. These results support theoretical accounts considering independent order STM and item STM processes, with a potentially causal involvement of order STM processes in reading acquisition.
How Edublox can help
Edublox Online Tutor (EOT) houses a number of multisensory cognitive training programs that enable learners to overcome learning obstacles and reach their full potential.
EOT is founded on pedagogical research and 30+ years of experience demonstrating that weak underlying cognitive skills account for the majority of learning difficulties. Underlying cognitive skills include short-term memory. Specific cognitive exercises can strengthen these weaknesses leading to increased performance in reading, spelling, writing, math and learning.
In one research study Edublox improved short-term visual memory by 1.3 years in 5 days. In a recent, soon-to-be published research study, 64 2nd grade students at an inner-city school were divided into three groups: group 1 consisted of 22 students who did Edublox Online Tutor (Development Tutor) for 28 hours over a period of three weeks, while group 2 consisted of 21 who played computer games, and the rest continued with school. The Test of Auditory Processing Skills (TAPS-3) was used to assess short-term auditory memory of numbers, words and sentences, before and after the three-week period. Preliminary results show that the short-term auditory memory of the Edublox group (blue line) improved significantly:
.

In addition to cognitive training EOT offers reading and spelling help and is effective for a variety of learning difficulties including dyslexia.
.
© Edublox
Real help for learning disabilities –
Video: Susan’s story of helping her daughter catch up
Meet Susan, Vivienne's mom. Vivienne was adopted from China at age 5½. This video is about Susan helping her 11-year-old daughter catch up on her development delays. They started with the Edublox program 13 weeks ago. This is her story. Continue Reading
Susan, Vivienne's mom February 22, 2021
“We can see her world getting bigger, and we are so happy!”
The whole Edublox system has helped Amy so much with reading and math, but it was hard for us to tell if it was helping her with this hidden, agonizing challenge. It certainly is! Continue Reading
Sandy, mom of Amy, US February 11, 2021
“Carsten is reading 6 and 7 letter words and the most amazing part is he is spelling them as well!”
Now, after working with Susan and the Edublox program for the last 5 months, Carsten is reading 6 and 7 letter words and the most amazing part is he is spelling them as well! AMAZING! I never would have thought he would be spelling words that large so quickly. I asked his school teacher about what she has seen and she told me she’s seen a big difference... Continue Reading
Lisel Nielsen, Utah, US March 12, 2020
Video gallery: Parents and children share their stories on overcoming learning barriers
Watch videos and listen to interviews, covering Edublox clients of all age groups and from all over the world, at various stages of implementation and for various needs: from overcoming reading difficulties to severe dyslexia, dyscalculia, low IQ, et cetera. Continue Reading
Video gallery December 22, 2019
Life-changing: A child with severe dyslexia improves from the 1st to the 55th percentile in reading!
Meet Maddie, a 10-year-old who had been diagnosed with severe dyslexia, moderate dyscalculia, ADHD and low IQ (low 80s). People who had evaluated her said that they had never seen dyslexia as severe as this before. Her parents had been told by more than one professional that Maddie would probably never read... Continue Reading
Kimberly, US May 23, 2019
A dyslexia success story: “I would not have thought it possible four years ago”
As for my daughter, I thought you would like to know that she is in her first year of high school and is in honors English and geometry and AP History. Her elective reading for English was Hemingway and now Homer's Iliad. She got a very good report card this term too. Continue Reading
Beth in Fullerton, US November 13, 2017
“Handwriting is no longer an issue” – Jennifer Gilliland
After thirty hours, I can honestly say his handwriting is no longer an issue. It has become automatic for him to write neatly and legibly, whereas before, his writing varied depending on the day and the amount of effort he was willing to put in to be neat. This has also positively affected his ability to compose a written paragraph... Continue Reading
Jennifer Gilliland, US February 26, 2017
“Now he reads with ease and confidence” – Sheri Browning
As a matter of fact, he enjoys reading so much that it isn’t unusual to see him reading for pleasure now. The first time I heard him say he was “going to bed a little early so he could read before going to sleep” was music to my ears!! Continue Reading
Sheri Browning, US December 19, 2016
“I feel as if part of my daughter’s mind was trapped, and Edublox set her free” – The Adams household
She is now almost an intuitive speller. Really, it's a miracle. Six months ago, her spelling tested at a Kindergarten level, and is now at a 6th grade level. This is just still so amazing to all of us who have struggled with her. Continue Reading
The Adams household in New Mexico December 15, 2016
“In the first 9 weeks of school they have increased over 2 1/2 years” — Nita Brist
Phonics just did not work. Last year they did not improve in their reading level all year. We started Edublox in June and already in the first 9 weeks of school they have increased over 2 1/2 years.... Their spelling has greatly improved and learning new words has become a game, not the dreaded chore it once was. Continue Reading
Nita Brist, Washington State, US December 11, 2016
.
References:
Elliott, J. G., & Grigorenko, E. L. (2014). The dyslexia debate. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Majerus, S., & Cowan, N. (2016). The nature of verbal short-term impairment in dyslexia: The importance of serial order. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01522
Ramus, F., & Szenkovits, G. (2008). What phonological deficit? Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 61(1), 129-141.
Snowling, M. J., Goulandris, N., & Defty, N. (1996). A longitudinal study of reading development in dyslexic children. Journal of Educational Psychology, 88(4), 653-669.
Trecy, M. P., Steve, M., & Martine, P. (2013). Impaired short-term memory for order in adults with dyslexia. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 34(7), 2211-2223.