Relations between phonological short-term memory and language at 3 1/2 and 6 years in typically developing and preterm children

This paper aimed to examine phonological short-term memory and linguistic abilities at 3½ (grammar) and at 6 years (lexicon, grammar and phonological awareness) and the relations between phonological short-term memory and linguistic abilities in children with typical and at risk development, i.e. very preterm children, whose ability of phonological short-term memory has not yet received enough investigation. These relations were investigated also longitudinally in a sample of preterms examined at 3½ and 6 years in order to understand how phonological short-term memory contributes to language development in the preterm population, which is at risk for learning processes both at preschool and school age. The results suggest that preterms in the first years are susceptible to difficulties in phonological short-term memory, even if an improvement of it occurs during preschool age, and in linguistic abilities. Significant relations between phonological short-term memory and linguistic abilities emerged both in preterms and fullterms at 3½ and at 6 years, suggesting that these competencies are strictly interconnected during development even if with some differences between preterms and fullterms. Significant relations were also found in the preterm longitudinal sample between phonological short-term memoryat 3½ years and phonological short-term memory, lexical production and phonological awareness at 6 years suggesting that in preterms phonological short-term memory affects the development of linguistic abilities during preschool age.