Dissertation Defense Announcement Ed.D. Program: David Antunes, “Don’t Forget About Working Memory: Professionals’ Consideration Of Working Memory And Basic Reading Skills Interventions For Students With Or At Risk For Having A Learning Disability”

Working memory is a crucial cognitive skill that supports learning to read, with strong working memory linked to higher reading achievement, while weaker working memory is associated with reading difficulties. However, school professionals struggle to effectively use cognitive and achievement data due to varying factors, which underscore the need for targeted reading interventions based on students’ working memory strengths and weaknesses. This study investigates how working memory processes predict basic reading skills in students aged 7 to 11 with learning disabilities and explores school professionals’ knowledge and use of working memory data to inform word-reading interventions. It also examines their perceptions of these interventions’ effectiveness and feasibility in supporting word-reading development. The findings suggest that school professionals should reconsider how working memory is assessed and how word-reading interventions are formulated for students with reading difficulties.