This study examines the relationship between working memory and reading achievement in 57 Swedish primary-school children with special needs. First, it was examined whether children's working memory could be enhanced by a cognitive training program, and how the training outcomes would relate to their reading development. Next, it was explored how differential aspects of working memory are related to children's reading outcomes. The working memory training yielded effects, and these effects appeared beneficial to children's reading comprehension development. Working memory measures were found to be related with children's word reading and reading comprehension. The results show that working memory can be seen as a crucial factor in the reading development of literacy among children with special needs, and that interventions to improve working memory may help children becoming more proficient in reading comprehension.

Working Memory (WM) has a central role in learning. It is suggested to be malleable and is considered necessary for several aspects of mathematical functioning. This study investigated whether work with an interactive computerised working memory training programme at school could affect the mathematical performance of young children. Fifty-seven children with attention deficits participated in an intervention programme. The treatment group trained daily, for 30-40 min. at school for five weeks, while the control group did not get any extra training. Looking at the group as a whole, mathematical performance improved in the treatment group compared with the control group directly following the five weeks of training (Time 2), but the results of the second post-test (Time 3, approximately seven months later) were no longer significant. Since there was only a small number of girls, the results were analysed for boys only. The boys had improved their mathematical results in both post-tests. WM-measures improved at Time 2 and 3 relative to Time 1 (pre-test) for the whole group, and for boys. Differences in training scores were related to differences in the non-verbal WM-measure Span board back.The results indicate that boys aged 9 to 12 with special needs may benefit, over time, from WM training, as shown in the enhanced results in mathematics following WM training. However, as the intervention and control groups were not randomised, the results cannot be generalised; the results must be considered with caution.

This dissertation is based on results from an intervention study targeting working memory training. A group of 46 boys and 11 girls (aged 10.7) that were attending special units in 16 regular schools participated in the study. The treatment group (n = 42) trained at school every day for 30-40 minutes with an interactive computer program (Cogmed training) for five weeks. The performances of the treatment group on reading related measures and basic number skills are compared to those of a group of students (n =15) that were attending similar special units and received only ordinary special educational instruction. Working memory measures and non-verbal problem solving were compared to students (n = 25) in a control group from a previous study.In Study I, it was found that reading comprehension and working memory measures correlated and improved at post-tests (T2, T3) for the treatment group to a larger extent than for the comparison group.In Study II, it was found that working memory measures and basic number skills were highly related. The performance of the boys in the treatment group improved more than that of the boys in the comparison group on basic number test at both post-tests.In Study III, basic skills assessed three years later (T4) are reported. The treatment group achieved higher scores in reading comprehension compared to pre-tests and compared to the control group.The treatment group seems to have gained from the cognitive training of working memory with the computer assisted program directly after training, after seven months and at the three year follow-up. The gains were observed on visuo-spatial working memory measure (T2, T3), reading comprehension and on basic number skills in boys (T2, T3, T4).The possible mechanisms that may be involved in and may explain the observed improvements of performances are discussed: executive function, attention, memory, motivation, emotions. The study has some methodological limitations and more research is needed to substantiate the efficacy of the program.