Visuospatial memory did not predict word reading achievement in any grade, providing a discriminative contrast with mathematics¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2013 · checked against its sources 2026-10-17 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? With the exception of intelligence, none of the predictors of Numerical Operations scores predicted Word Reading scores; visuospatial memory did not predict word reading fluency in any grade. → Li Y 2013

Evidence¶

Li Y 2013¶

Li Y, Geary DC (2013) Developmental Gains in Visuospatial Memory Predict Gains in Mathematics Achievement. PLoS ONE 8(7): e70160. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0070160

q3 · i? · associational · r2

Multilevel models of 177 children's word reading growth (WIAT-II Word Reading subtest). The negative visuospatial effect became non-significant (p = .2457) when central executive and phonological memory were dropped, suggesting it was spurious.

"with the exception of intelligence, none of the predictors of Numerical Operations scores predicted Word Reading scores (Table 3)."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Decoding — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes
• Spatial Ability — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes
• Visual Processing — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes

Related Claims¶

• First grade visuospatial memory did not predict fifth grade mathematics achievement, but first grade central executive, intelligence, and in-class attentive behavior did — related
• Speed of numeral processing showed a trend predicting fifth grade mathematics achievement, and letter processing speed predicted word reading — related
• Simultaneous (Mazes) visuospatial memory showed a trend predicting fifth grade mathematics while sequential (Block Recall) did not — related
• Children with larger first-to-fifth grade gains in visuospatial memory had higher fifth grade mathematics achievement, controlling for first grade visuospatial memory and other predictors — related
• In latent-variable SEM models, intelligence — not working memory — is the significant direct predictor of academic outcomes in both childhood and early adulthood — related
• Executive function measures predict early mathematics achievement over and above reading ability and IQ — related
• Visual-spatial working memory predicts higher-order QNC (Level II/III) but not basic numerical skills, and is linked to Grade 3 math only indirectly — related
• Complexity of children's naturalistic memory reports predicts reading ability over and above IQ — related
• QNC Level I predicts QNC Level II/III, which in turn predicts Grade 3 mathematics achievement; QNC Level I also retains a direct path to Grade 3 math — related
• Math achievement at the end of first grade is predicted by fluid intelligence, visuospatial working memory, and symbolic numerical representation — related
• The core predictors of seventh-grade word reading achievement differ from those predicting seventh-grade mathematics achievement — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)