Word-learning trajectories influence long-term recall in children with developmental language disorder and typical development.
Justin B Kueser, Laurence B Leonard, Patricia Deevy and 2 others
PMID 34768092WHAT IT FOUND
In children with DLD and typical development, more correct spaced retrievals and steady gains during learning predicted better 5-minute and 1-week recall.
Their learning trajectories were similar. Immediate retrieval helped during learning but did not by itself predict later recall.
Key findings
01Across the studies, spaced-retrieval accuracy grew linearly over learning trials, and children with DLD and typical development did not differ reliably in that growth.
02Success on immediate retrieval trials was associated with higher likelihood of success on subsequent spaced retrieval trials during learning.
03A steeper learning trajectory during spaced retrieval was associated with better longer-term recall.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The analysis pooled trial-by-trial data from three experiments, and two children with DLD contributed data to two of the studies. The learning phase used a relatively small number of words and trials, so subtle group differences may have been missed. Correct/incorrect scoring was binary, so the analysis may not have captured phonetic precision differences between groups. The data show an association between immediate retrieval and later spaced retrieval, not proof that immediate retrieval caused the later success. The task used novel words and adjectives presented on a computer screen over two days, not a test of real-word learning in everyday settings.
Declared interests
No author conflict-of-interest statement is included in the supplied text. The article is tagged as supported by NIH extramural research.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that immediate retrieval trials alone are enough to make word learning durable. Immediate retrieval helped children answer later spaced retrieval trials during learning, but it did not independently predict 5-minute or 1-week recall; spaced retrieval success and a rising learning trajectory were the predictors.