Vocabulary uniquely predicts local coherence inference making for 6- and 8-year-olds, but neither vocabulary nor working memory predicts it for 10-year-olds¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · associational r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2015 · checked against its sources 2026-10-19 (automated, 2 of 2 entries) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? For 6- and 8-year-olds, only vocabulary was a significant unique predictor of local coherence inference making once memory measures were taken into account. → Currie 2015 q3 i? For 10-year-olds, none of the measures significantly explained variance in local coherence inference making. → Currie 2015 (2)

Evidence¶

Currie 2015¶

Currie, N. K., & Cain, K. (2015). Children's inference generation: The role of vocabulary and working memory. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 137, 57–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2015.03.005

q3 · i? · associational · r2

Fixed-order hierarchical multiple regressions with local coherence inference as the dependent variable, entering simple span, complex span, then vocabulary for the 8- and 10-year-olds; complex span was excluded for the 6-year-olds, who performed poorly on the complex span tasks, so their model entered simple span and then vocabulary. For the 8-year-olds, "only vocabulary significantly accounted for significant variance"; for the 6-year-olds only vocabulary was significant when both variables were included in the model.

"For the 8-year-olds, only vocabulary significantly accounted for significant variance in local coherence inference making."

Currie 2015 (2)¶

Currie, N. K., & Cain, K. (2015). Children's inference generation: The role of vocabulary and working memory. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 137, 57–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2015.03.005

q3 · i? · associational · r2

In the same regression series for the oldest group, "none of the measures significantly explained variance" in local coherence inference making. The article suggests older children may have had sufficient skills and that further gains could come from strategic processing.

"In contrast, for the 10-year-olds, none of the measures significantly explained variance."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Age and Developmental Stage — moderator: an instructional effect differs with it
• Inferencing — outcome: instruction changes it
• Vocabulary — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes

Related Claims¶

• Inference-making performance improves with age between 6 and 10 years, with children performing better on global than local coherence inference questions — related
• Vocabulary fully mediates the effect of working memory on both local and global coherence inference making in 6- to 10-year-olds — related
• Vocabulary is the only unique predictor of global coherence inference making at all three ages, 6 through 10 years — related