Linking Verbal Working Memory to Reading Development: Insights from the Neurobiology of Early Language Revealed by fNIRS

Abstract

Memory is a core cognitive function that not only shapes our daily interactions with the environment but also plays a pivotal role in the acquisition of higher-order skills such as language and reading. Among its components, verbal working memory is particularly relevant for early literacy, as it supports the temporary storage and manipulation of phonological information, which is essential for decoding, comprehension, and the gradual automatization of reading. Exploring how verbal short-term memory develops and how it is instantiated in the brain can therefore provide important insights into the neurocognitive foundations of early language learning. This study investigates the relationship between verbal short-term memory and prefrontal cortical activation in 5 to 11 years-old children, a developmental window in which language and reading skills undergo rapid consolidation. Hemodynamic response was measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) during a digit-span task in both forward and backward conditions, designed to probe verbal short-term storage and working memory demands.  In addition to these neuroimaging measures, participants completed a test on reading fluency. The expected outcomes of this study aim to clarify how prefrontal recruitment during verbal short-term memory tasks relates to the emergence of early reading abilities. Such findings may contribute to a more integrated account of the links between memory and literacy, informing both theoretical models of cognitive development and practical applications in educational and clinical contexts.