Review
BibTex RIS Cite

Working Memory Skills in the Preschool Period

Year 2025, Volume: 13 Issue: 3, 1612 - 1641
https://doi.org/10.46778/goputeb.1668229

Abstract

Working memory is a fundamental cognitive system that enables children to temporarily store, manipulate, and apply information to accomplish tasks. The preschool period constitutes a pivotal developmental window during which these skills mature rapidly, laying the groundwork for higher-order cognition. This review synthesizes contemporary research on working memory, examining its developmental course, constituent components, and associations with language acquisition, early numeracy, and emergent literacy in early childhood. Furthermore, it provides evidence-based recommendations on classroom design, pedagogical strategies, and teacher practices that support the development of working memory in preschool environments. Recognizing that working memory is a strong predictor of later academic success, the paper emphasizes the critical importance of nurturing these abilities early in life. By doing so, it aims to inform teacher professional development and foster the creation of classroom practices that optimize cognitive growth.

Ethical Statement

As this study is a review article, it does not require ethics committee approval.

References

  • Abacı Karadeniz, S. (2021). Gelişim alanları ve erken okuryazarlık [Developmental domains and early literacy]. In F. Erbay (Ed.), Erken okuryazarlık becerileri ve desteklenmesi [Early literacy skills and their support] (pp. 317–331). Eğiten Kitap.
  • Abacı Karadeniz, S. (2025). Okul öncesi çocukların çalışma belleği ile duygu düzenlemeleri arasındaki ilişkide annelerin duygu düzenleme güçlüklerinin aracı rolü. [The mediating role of mothers’ emotion regulation difficulties in the relationship between preschool children’s working memory and their emotion regulation abilities] [Unpublished dissertation]. Selçuk Üniversitesi.
  • Acheson, D. J., & Macdonald, M. C. (2009). Twisting tongues and memories: Explorations of the relationship between language production and verbal working memory. Journal of Memory and Language, 60(3), 329-350. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2008.12.002
  • Akoğlu, G., & Acarlar, F. (2014). Gelişimsel dil bozukluklarında söz dizimi anlama ve sözel çalışma belleği ilişkisinin incelenmesi [The relationship between syntax comprehension and verbal working memory in children with developmental language disorders]. Turkish Journal of Psychology, 29(73), 89–103.
  • Albano, D., Garcia, R. B., & Cornoldi, C. (2016). Deficits in working memory visual-phonological binding in children with dyslexia. Psychology & Neuroscience, 9(4), 411–419. https://doi.org/10.1037/pne0000066
  • Alloway, T. P. (2008, September). Effective screening tools for children with working memory impairments [Konferans sunumu]. British Educational Research Association Annual Conference, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
  • Alloway, T., & Alloway, R. (2010). Investigating the predictive roles of working memory and IQ in academic attainment. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 106(1), 20–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2009.11.003
  • Alloway, T. P., & Gathercole, S. E. (2006). How does working memory work in the classroom? Educational Research and Reviews, 1(4), 134–139.
  • Alloway, T. P., Gathercole, S. E., Adams, A. M., Willis, C., Eaglen, R., & Lamont, E. (2005). Working memory and phonological awareness as predictors of progress towards early learning goals at school entry. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 75(3), 417–426. https://doi.org/10.1348/026151005X26804
  • Alloway, T. P., & Passolunghi, M. C. (2011). The relationship between working memory, IQ, and mathematical skills in children. Learning and Individual Differences, 21(1), 133–137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2010.09.013
  • Alloway, T., & Copello, E. (2013). Working memory: The what, the why, and the how. The Australian Educational and Developmental Psychologist, 30(2), 105–118. https://doi.org/10.1017/edp.2013.13
  • Aronen, E. T., Vuontela, V., Steenari, M. R., Salmi, J., & Carlson, S. (2005). Working memory, psychiatric symptoms, and academic performance at school. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 83(1), 33–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nlm.2004.06.010
  • Aunio, P., & Niemivirta, M. (2010). Predicting children's mathematical performance in grade one by early numeracy. Learning and Individual Differences, 20(5), 427–435. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2010.06.003
  • Ayhan, Ş. G. (2021). Çalışma belleği kapasitesi yüksek ve düşük bireylerin yürütücü işlevlerinin, kişilik özelliklerinin ve benlik saygısı düzeylerinin incelenmesi. [The investigation of executive functions, personality traits and self esteem levels of high and low working memory capacity individuals] [Unpublished master thesis]. Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi.
  • Baddeley, A. (1996). The fractionation of working memory. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 93(24), 13468–13472. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.93.24.13468
  • Baddeley, A. (2000). The episodic buffer: A new component of working memory. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 4(11), 417–423. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1364-6613(00)01538-2
  • Baddeley, A. (2003). Working memory: Looking back and looking forward. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 4(10), 829–839. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn1201
  • Baddeley, A. (2010). Working memory. Current Biology, 20(4), R136–R140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2009.12.014
  • Baddeley, A. (2012). Working memory: Theories, models, and controversies. Annual Review of Psychology, 63(1), 1–29. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-120710-100422
  • Baddeley, A. D., & Hitch, G. J. (1994). Developments in the concept of working memory. Neuropsychology, 8(4), 485–493. https://doi.org/10.1037/0894-4105.8.4.485
  • Baddeley, A., Gathercole, S., & Papagno, C. (1998). The phonological loop as a language learning device. Psychological Review, 105(1), 158–173. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.105.1.158
  • Banich, M. T. (2009). Executive function: The search for an integrated account. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 18(2), 89–94. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8721.2009.01615.x
  • Blake, J. (1989). Family size and achievement. University of California Press.
  • Burrage, M. S., Ponitz, C. C., McCready, E. A., Shah, P., Sims, B. C., Jewkes, A. M., & Morrison, F. J. (2008). Age- and schooling-related effects on executive functions in young children: A natural experiment. Child Neuropsychology, 14(6), 510–524. https://doi.org/10.1080/09297040701756917
  • Buschmann, A., Multhauf, B., Hasselhorn, M., & Pietz, J. (2015). Long-term effects of a parent-based language intervention on language outcomes and working memory for late-talking toddlers. Journal of Early Intervention, 37(3), 175–189. https://doi.org/10.1177/1053815115609384
  • Buss, A. T., Fox, N. A., Boas, D. A., & Spencer, J. P. (2014). Probing the early development of visual working memory capacity with functional near-infrared spectroscopy. NeuroImage, 85(1), 314–325. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.05.034
  • Castillo Segura, M., Carbonero Martín, M., & Martín Antón, L. J. (2025). Preliminary study on enhancing literacy skills through intervention targeting inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, working memory, and attentional control. Education Sciences, 15, 243. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15020243
  • Cowan, N. (2010). The magical mystery four: How is working memory capacity limited, and why? Current Directions in Psychological Science, 19(1), 51–57. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721409359277
  • Cowan, N. (2014). Working memory underpins cognitive development, learning, and education. Educational Psychology Review, 26(2), 197–223. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-013-9246-y
  • Cowell, R. A., Cicchetti, D., Rogosch, F. A., & Toth, S. L. (2015). Çocukluk çağı kötü muamelesi ve nörobilişsel işlevselliğe etkisi: Zamanlama ve kroniklik önemlidir. Gelişim ve Psikopatoloji, 27(2), 521–533. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579415000139
  • Currie, N., & Muijselaar, M. M. (2019). Inference making in young children: The concurrent and longitudinal contributions of verbal working memory and vocabulary. Journal of Educational Psychology, 111(8), 1416–1431. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000342
  • Çakır, R., & Ergül, C. (2022). Investigation of Working Memory Performances of Children with Low Early Mathematics Achievement. Education and Science, 47(209), 133–153. https://doi.org/10.15390/EB.2022.10389
  • Çetin, A. (2019). Erken okuryazarlık becerileri eğitim programının erken okuryazarlık ve erken matematik becerileri üzerine etkisinin incelenmesi. [Investigation of the Effect of Early Literacy Skills Educational Program on Early Literacy and Early Mathematics Skills] [Unpublished dissertation]. Hacettepe Üniversitesi.
  • Demir, B. (2021). Working memory model and language learning. Shanlax International Journal of Education, 9(S2), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.34293/education.v9iS2-Sep.4366
  • Demirtaş, P. Ç. (2017). Okuma güçlüğü olan öğrencilerde okuma, sesbilgisel farkındalık, hızlı isimlendirme ve çalışma belleği becerilerinin incelenmesi. [Examination of reading, phonological awareness, rapid naming, and working memory skills in students with reading difficulties] [Unpublished master thesis]. Ankara Üniversitesi.
  • Doğan, M. (2011). Çocuklarda çalışma belleği, akademik öğrenme ve öğrenme yetersizlikleri. [Working memory, academic learning, and learning disabilities in children]. Türk Psikoloji Yazıları, 14(27), 48–65.
  • Downey, D. B. (2001). Number of siblings and intellectual development: The resource dilution explanation. American Psychologist, 56(6–7), 497–504. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.56.6-7.497
  • Edgar, E. V., Eschman, B., Todd, J. T., Testa, K., Ramirez, B., & Bahrick, L. E. (2023). The effects of socioeconomic status on working memory in childhood are partially mediated by intersensory processing of audiovisual events in infancy. Infant Behavior and Development, 72, e101844. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infbeh.2023.101844
  • Engle, R. W. (1996). Working memory and retrieval: An inhibition-resource approach. In J. T. E. Richardson, R. W. Engle, L. Hasher, R. H. Logie, E. R. Stoltzfus, & R. T. Zacks (Eds.), Working memory and human cognition (pp. 89–119). Oxford University Press.
  • Ergül, C., Ökcün-Akçamuş, M. Ç., Akoğlu, G., Demir, E., Kılıç‑Tülü, B., & Demir, Ş. (2017, October). Çalışma belleği ve ev erken okuryazarlık ortamı erken okuryazarlık becerilerinin gelişiminde etkili mi? Türkçe konuşan çocuklar örneği [Is working memory and the home early literacy environment effective in the development of early literacy skills? A sample of Turkish-speaking children] [Conference presentation]. 5. Uluslararası Okul Öncesi Eğitimi Kongresi, Ankara.
  • Ergül, C., Akoğlu, G., Demir, E., Ökcün Akçamuş, M. Ç., & Kudret, Z. B. (2019). 5 yaş grubu çocukların dil, erken okuryazarlık ve bilişsel becerilerinin gelişimsel profili ve okuma becerilerini yordama gücü: 3 yıllık boylamsal bir çalışma [Developmental profiles of language, early literacy, and cognitive skills of 5-year-old children and their predictive power on reading skills: A 3-year longitudinal study] [TÜBİTAK 1001 project report]. Ankara Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Fakültesi.
  • Ericsson, K. A., & Delaney, P. F. (1999). Long-term working memory as an alternative to capacity models of working memory in everyday skilled performance. In A. Miyake & P. Shah (Eds.), Models of working memory: Mechanisms of active maintenance and executive control (pp. 257–297). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Friso-van den Bos, I., Van der Ven, S., Kroesbergen, E., & Van Luit, J. E. H. (2014). Working memory and mathematics in primary school children: A meta-analysis. Educational Research Review, 10, 29–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2013.05.003
  • Gathercole, S. E. (2007). A working memory: A system for learning. In R. K. Wagner, A. E. Muse, & K. R. Tannenbaum (Eds.), Vocabulary acquisition: Implications for reading comprehension (pp. 233–248). The Guilford Press.
  • Gathercole, S. E., & Alloway, T. P. (2005). Understanding working memory: A classroom guide. Medical Research Council.
  • Gathercole, S. E., Lamont, E., & Alloway, T. P. (2006). Working memory in the classroom. In S. J. Pickering (Ed.), Working memory and education (pp. 219–240). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-012554465-8/50010-7
  • Gathercole, S. E., & Alloway, T. P. (2008). Working memory and learning: A practical guide for teachers. Sage Publications.
  • Gathercole, S. E., Pickering, S. J., Ambridge, B., & Wearing, H. (2004). The structure of working memory from 4 to 15 years of age. Developmental Psychology, 40(2), 177–190. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.40.2.177
  • Gökçe, E., Güneş, E., & Nalçacı, E. (2021). Çalışma belleği hakkında kısa bir gözden geçirme. Journal of Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, 74(1), 11–17. https://doi.org/10.4274/atfm.galenos.2020.87487
  • Guhl, P. (2019). The impact of early math and numeracy skills on academic achievement in elementary school (Master’s thesis, Northwestern College). NWCommons. https://nwcommons.nwciowa.edu/education_masters/203
  • Hanson, J. L., Chung, M. K., Avants, B. B., Rudolph, K. D., Shirtcliff, E. A., Gee, J. C., … Pollak, S. D. (2012). Structural variations in prefrontal cortex mediate the relationship between early childhood stress and spatial working memory. Journal of Neuroscience, 32(23), 7917–7925. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0307-12.2012
  • Hassamancıoğlu, U., & Doğan, Ö. (2021). Gelişimsel dil bozukluğu olan çocuklar: Dil gelişimi ve sözel çalışma belleği [Children with developmental language disorder: Language development and verbal working memory]. Ankara Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Fakültesi Özel Eğitim Dergisi, 22(4), 871–893. https://doi.org/10.21565/ozelegitimdergisi.742658
  • Holmes, J., Gathercole, S. E., & Dunning, D. L. (2010). Poor working memory: Impact and interventions. In J. Holmes (Ed.), Advances in child development and behavior (pp. 1–43). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-374748-8.00001-9
  • Holmgren, S., Molander, B., & Nilsson, L. G. (2007). Episodic memory in adult age and effects of sibship size and birth order: Longitudinal data. Journal of Adult Development, 14, 37–46. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-007-9029-0
  • Holmgren, S., Molander, B., & Nilsson, L. G. (2006). Intelligence and executive functioning in adult age: Effects of sibship size and birth order. European Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 18(1), 138–158. https://doi.org/10.1080/09541440500216150
  • Horton, M. K., Zheng, L., Williams, A., Doucette, J. T., Svensson, K., Cory-Slechta, D., Tamayo-Ortiz, M., Torres-Calápiz, M., Bellinger, D., Schnaas, L., María, M., Téllez, M., & Wright, R. (2020). Using the delayed spatial alternation task to assess environmentally associated changes in working memory in very young children. Neurotoxicology, 77, 71–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuro.2019.12.009
  • Huber, B., Yeates, M., Meyer, D., Fleckhammer, L., & Kaufman, J. (2018). The effects of screen media content on young children’s executive functioning. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 170, 72–85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2018.01.006
  • Jasielska, A., Kaczmarek, L., Brońska, A., Dominiak, M., Niemier, K., Patalas, D., Sokołowski, A., & Tomczak, M. (2015). The relationship between working memory and emotion regulation strategies. Roczniki Psychologiczne, 18, 567–578. https://doi.org/10.18290/rpsych.2015.18.4-4en
  • Ji, Z., & Guo, K. (2023). The association between working memory and mathematical problem solving: A three-level meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1091126. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1091126
  • Karaman, G. (2013). Erken okuryazarlık becerilerini değerlendirme aracının geliştirilmesi, geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışması. [Development of early literacy skills assessment tool, validity and reliability study] [Unpublished dissertation]. Gazi Üniversitesi.
  • Lynam, D. R., & Henry, B. (2001). The role of neuropsychological deficits in conduct disorders. In J. Hill & B. Maughan (Eds.), Conduct disorders in childhood and adolescence (pp. 235–263). Cambridge University Press.
  • Maden, K., Uzkul, S., & Öğretir, A. (2022). 4–6 yaş çocukların öz düzenleme becerileri ile anne tutumları arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi [Examination of the association between self-regulation skills of children aged 4–6 and their maternal attitudes]. Mehmet Akif Ersoy Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 64, 525–551. https://doi.org/10.21764/maeuefd.1024579
  • Miller, E. K., Lundqvist, M., & Bastos, A. M. (2018). Working memory 2.0. Neuron, 100(2), 463–475. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2018.09.023
  • Montgomery, J. W. (2003). Working memory and comprehension in children with specific language impairment: What we know so far. Journal of Communication Disorders, 36(3), 221–231. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0021-9924(03)00021-2
  • National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS). (2015). Working memory strategies. Report Writing Group. Erişim tarihi: 17/03/2025 https://assets.gov.ie/41303/64411cb9abed429cb775d5aefb459bed.pdf
  • Newbury, J., Klee, T., Stokes, S. F., & Moran, C. (2016). Interrelationships between working memory, processing speed, and language development in the age range 2–4 years. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 59(5), 1146–1158. https://doi.org/10.1044/2016_JSLHR-L-15-0322
  • Nikolaeva, E., Dunaevskaya, E., Burkova, S., Nikiforova, S., & Merenkova, V. (2021). Age characteristics of the working memory. E3S Web of Conferences, 258, 07016. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202125807016
  • Okşak, F. E. (2019). Sosyal kabul düzeyi düşük ve yüksek olan ilkokul 3. sınıf çocuklarının çalışma belleği performanslarının karşılaştırılması [Comparison of working memory performance of 3rd grade primary school children with low and high levels of social acceptance] [Unpublished master thesis]. Ankara Üniversitesi.
  • Pezzulo, G. (2007). Working memory. Institute of Cognitive Science and Technology. Erişim tarihi: 20.03.2025 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228394612_Working_Memory
  • Repovš, G., & Baddeley, A. (2006). The multi-component model of working memory: Explorations in experimental cognitive psychology. Neuroscience, 139(1), 5–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2005.12.061
  • Rezzagil, M. (2018). Erken çocukluk döneminde çalışma belleği ile okula hazırbulunuşluk arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi. [Analysis of relationship between working memory and school readiness in early childhood]. [Unpublished dissertation]. Hacettepe Üniversitesi.
  • Ricker, T. J., AuBuchon, A. M., & Cowan, N. (2010). Working memory. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Cognitive Science, 1(4), 573–585. https://doi.org/10.1002/wcs.50
  • Rintaningrum, R. (2019). Explaining the important contribution of reading literacy to the country’s generations: Indonesian’s perspectives. Journal of Turkish Science Education, 11(1), 3–23.
  • Rohde, L. (2015). The Comprehensive Emergent Literacy Model: Early literacy in context. SAGE Open, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244015577664
  • Rojas Barahona, C. A., Förster, C. E., Moreno-Rios, S., & McClelland, M. M. (2015). Improvement of working memory in preschoolers and its impact on early literacy skills: A study in deprived communities of rural and urban areas. Early Education and Development, 26, 871–892.
  • Rusli, Y. A., & Montgomery, J. W. (2017). Children’s comprehension of object relative sentences: It’s extant language knowledge that matters, not domain-general working memory. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 60(10), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1044/2017_JSLHR-L-16-0422
  • Sağlam, C., & Özyürek, A. (2022). Okul öncesi çocuklarda çalışma belleği ve erken okuryazarlık becerilerinin incelenmesi [An investigation of working memory and early literacy skills in preschool children]. Erken Çocukluk Çalışmaları Dergisi, 6(1), 82–101. https://doi.org/10.24130/eccdjecs.1967202261379
  • Saraç, S., Abanoz, T., & Gülay Ogelman, H. (2021). Okul öncesi dönem çocuklarının öz düzenleme becerilerinin bazı demografik değişkenler açısından incelenmesi. [Examination Of Pre-School Children’s Self-Regulation Skills in Terms of Some Demographic Variables]. Gelişim ve Psikoloji Dergisi, 2, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.51503/gpd.847786
  • Schore, A. N. (1996). The experience-dependent maturation of a regulatory system in the orbital prefrontal cortex and the origin of developmental psychopathology. Development and Psychopathology, 8, 59–87.
  • Shen, Y. (2025). Working memory growth and early Spanish reading interact to shape reading and math gains for Spanish-English emergent bilinguals. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 81, 102366. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2025.102366
  • Swanson, H. L., & Jerman, O. (2006). Math disabilities: A selective meta-analysis of the literature. Review of Educational Research, 76(2), 249–274. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543076002249
  • Şahin, S. (2012). Portage erken çocukluk dönemi eğitim programı [The Portage early childhood education program]. In Z. F. Temel (Ed.), Erken çocukluk eğitiminde yaklaşımlar ve programlar. [Approaches and programs in early childhood education]. (pp. 327–353). Vize Yayıncılık.
  • Tuncer, N. (2021). Çocukluk Dönemi Yürütücü İşlev Envanteri-Ebeveyn Formu’nun 48-72 aylık çocuklara uyarlanması ve bazı değişkenler açısından yordanma gücünün incelenmesi. [The Adaptation of the Parents’ Form of the Childhood Executive Functioning Inventory for 48-72 Month Children and the Analysis of Its Predictive Power in Terms of Some Variables]. OPUS International Journal of Society Researches, 17(35), 2052–2081. https://doi.org/10.26466/opus.832602
  • Ullman, H., Almeida, R., & Klingberg, T. (2014). Structural maturation and brain activity predict future working memory capacity during childhood development. Journal of Neuroscience, 34(5), 1592–1598. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0842-13.2014
  • Uluğ, E., & Öğretir Özçelik, A. D. (2024). 0–36 aylık çocuklarda çalışma belleği gelişimi üzerine sistematik bir inceleme. [A Systematic Review of Working Memory Development in Children Aged 0-36 Months]. Studies in Psychology, 44(3), 275–321. https://doi.org/10.26650/SP2023-1397478
  • United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). (2023). Early childhood development: Unicef vision for every child. UNICEF. Erişim tarihi: 21.08.2025 https://www.unicef.org/media/145336/file/Early_Childhood_Development_-_UNICEF_Vision_ for_Every_Child.pdf
  • Uykan, E., & Akkaynak, M. (2019). Ebeveyn tutumları ile çocukların öz düzenlemeleri arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi [The relationship between parenting attitudes and children's self-regulation]. Akademik Tarih ve Düşünce Dergisi, 6(3), 1620–1644.
  • Wijeakumar, S., Kumar, A., Delgado, L. M., Tiwari, M., & Spencer, J. P. (2019). Early adversity in rural India impacts the brain networks underlying visual working memory. Developmental Science, 22(5), e12822. https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.12822
  • Wu, Y., & Schutte, A. R. (2021). Attentional shifting mediates the relationship between parenting and working memory. Journal of Cognition and Development, 22(5), 667–677. https://doi.org/10.1080/15248372.2021.1976781
  • Yılmaz, B. (2015). 48-60 aylık çocuklar için erken sayı değerlendirme ölçeğinin geçerlik güvenirlik çalışması. [Determining the validity and reliability of Early Numeracy Assessment for 48 – 60 month old children] [Unpublished master thesis]. Adnan Menderes Üniversitesi.
  • Yılmaz, N. (2022). Okul öncesi dönem çocuklarının yürütücü işlev becerileri ile sosyal becerileri arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi. [The research of the relation between the executive function and social skills of pre-school period children] [Unpublished master thesis]. Trakya Üniversitesi.
  • Zelazo, P. D., & Carlson, S. M. (2012). Hot and cool executive function in childhood and adolescence: Development and plasticity. Child Development Perspectives, 6(4), 354–360. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1750-8606.2012.00246.x

Okul Öncesi Dönemde Çalışma Belleği Becerileri

Year 2025, Volume: 13 Issue: 3, 1612 - 1641
https://doi.org/10.46778/goputeb.1668229

Abstract

Çalışma belleği; çocukların bilgiyi geçici olarak zihinlerinde tutmalarını, işlemeye devam etmelerini ve bu bilgiyi görevleri tamamlamak için kullanmalarını sağlayan temel bir bilişsel süreçtir. Okul öncesi dönem, bu becerilerin hızla geliştiği ve bilişsel temellerin atıldığı kritik bir evredir. Bu derleme çalışmasında, çalışma belleği kavramı çok yönlü biçimde ele alınmakta; gelişim süreci, bileşenleri ve erken çocuklukta dil gelişimi, matematik ve erken okuryazarlık becerileriyle olan ilişkisi güncel literatür ışığında incelenmektedir. Ayrıca, okul öncesi eğitim ortamlarında çalışma belleği becerilerini desteklemeye yönelik sınıf içi düzenlemeler, öğretim stratejileri ve öğretmen rollerine dair öneriler sunularak, alana uygulama temelli katkı sağlanması amaçlanmaktadır. Çalışma belleğinin ileriki eğitim kademelerinde akademik başarıyı öngören temel bilişsel yapılardan biri olduğu göz önünde bulundurularak, bu becerilerin erken yaşlarda desteklenmesinin önemi vurgulanmaktadır. Bu yönüyle çalışma, okul öncesi öğretmenlerin mesleki gelişimlerine katkı sağlamayı ve bilişsel gelişimi destekleyen sınıf uygulamalarının geliştirilmesine zemin hazırlamayı hedeflemektedir.

Ethical Statement

Bu araştırma derleme türünde olduğu için etik kurul kararı gerektirmemektedir.

References

  • Abacı Karadeniz, S. (2021). Gelişim alanları ve erken okuryazarlık [Developmental domains and early literacy]. In F. Erbay (Ed.), Erken okuryazarlık becerileri ve desteklenmesi [Early literacy skills and their support] (pp. 317–331). Eğiten Kitap.
  • Abacı Karadeniz, S. (2025). Okul öncesi çocukların çalışma belleği ile duygu düzenlemeleri arasındaki ilişkide annelerin duygu düzenleme güçlüklerinin aracı rolü. [The mediating role of mothers’ emotion regulation difficulties in the relationship between preschool children’s working memory and their emotion regulation abilities] [Unpublished dissertation]. Selçuk Üniversitesi.
  • Acheson, D. J., & Macdonald, M. C. (2009). Twisting tongues and memories: Explorations of the relationship between language production and verbal working memory. Journal of Memory and Language, 60(3), 329-350. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2008.12.002
  • Akoğlu, G., & Acarlar, F. (2014). Gelişimsel dil bozukluklarında söz dizimi anlama ve sözel çalışma belleği ilişkisinin incelenmesi [The relationship between syntax comprehension and verbal working memory in children with developmental language disorders]. Turkish Journal of Psychology, 29(73), 89–103.
  • Albano, D., Garcia, R. B., & Cornoldi, C. (2016). Deficits in working memory visual-phonological binding in children with dyslexia. Psychology & Neuroscience, 9(4), 411–419. https://doi.org/10.1037/pne0000066
  • Alloway, T. P. (2008, September). Effective screening tools for children with working memory impairments [Konferans sunumu]. British Educational Research Association Annual Conference, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
  • Alloway, T., & Alloway, R. (2010). Investigating the predictive roles of working memory and IQ in academic attainment. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 106(1), 20–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2009.11.003
  • Alloway, T. P., & Gathercole, S. E. (2006). How does working memory work in the classroom? Educational Research and Reviews, 1(4), 134–139.
  • Alloway, T. P., Gathercole, S. E., Adams, A. M., Willis, C., Eaglen, R., & Lamont, E. (2005). Working memory and phonological awareness as predictors of progress towards early learning goals at school entry. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 75(3), 417–426. https://doi.org/10.1348/026151005X26804
  • Alloway, T. P., & Passolunghi, M. C. (2011). The relationship between working memory, IQ, and mathematical skills in children. Learning and Individual Differences, 21(1), 133–137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2010.09.013
  • Alloway, T., & Copello, E. (2013). Working memory: The what, the why, and the how. The Australian Educational and Developmental Psychologist, 30(2), 105–118. https://doi.org/10.1017/edp.2013.13
  • Aronen, E. T., Vuontela, V., Steenari, M. R., Salmi, J., & Carlson, S. (2005). Working memory, psychiatric symptoms, and academic performance at school. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 83(1), 33–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nlm.2004.06.010
  • Aunio, P., & Niemivirta, M. (2010). Predicting children's mathematical performance in grade one by early numeracy. Learning and Individual Differences, 20(5), 427–435. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2010.06.003
  • Ayhan, Ş. G. (2021). Çalışma belleği kapasitesi yüksek ve düşük bireylerin yürütücü işlevlerinin, kişilik özelliklerinin ve benlik saygısı düzeylerinin incelenmesi. [The investigation of executive functions, personality traits and self esteem levels of high and low working memory capacity individuals] [Unpublished master thesis]. Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi.
  • Baddeley, A. (1996). The fractionation of working memory. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 93(24), 13468–13472. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.93.24.13468
  • Baddeley, A. (2000). The episodic buffer: A new component of working memory. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 4(11), 417–423. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1364-6613(00)01538-2
  • Baddeley, A. (2003). Working memory: Looking back and looking forward. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 4(10), 829–839. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn1201
  • Baddeley, A. (2010). Working memory. Current Biology, 20(4), R136–R140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2009.12.014
  • Baddeley, A. (2012). Working memory: Theories, models, and controversies. Annual Review of Psychology, 63(1), 1–29. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-120710-100422
  • Baddeley, A. D., & Hitch, G. J. (1994). Developments in the concept of working memory. Neuropsychology, 8(4), 485–493. https://doi.org/10.1037/0894-4105.8.4.485
  • Baddeley, A., Gathercole, S., & Papagno, C. (1998). The phonological loop as a language learning device. Psychological Review, 105(1), 158–173. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.105.1.158
  • Banich, M. T. (2009). Executive function: The search for an integrated account. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 18(2), 89–94. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8721.2009.01615.x
  • Blake, J. (1989). Family size and achievement. University of California Press.
  • Burrage, M. S., Ponitz, C. C., McCready, E. A., Shah, P., Sims, B. C., Jewkes, A. M., & Morrison, F. J. (2008). Age- and schooling-related effects on executive functions in young children: A natural experiment. Child Neuropsychology, 14(6), 510–524. https://doi.org/10.1080/09297040701756917
  • Buschmann, A., Multhauf, B., Hasselhorn, M., & Pietz, J. (2015). Long-term effects of a parent-based language intervention on language outcomes and working memory for late-talking toddlers. Journal of Early Intervention, 37(3), 175–189. https://doi.org/10.1177/1053815115609384
  • Buss, A. T., Fox, N. A., Boas, D. A., & Spencer, J. P. (2014). Probing the early development of visual working memory capacity with functional near-infrared spectroscopy. NeuroImage, 85(1), 314–325. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.05.034
  • Castillo Segura, M., Carbonero Martín, M., & Martín Antón, L. J. (2025). Preliminary study on enhancing literacy skills through intervention targeting inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, working memory, and attentional control. Education Sciences, 15, 243. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15020243
  • Cowan, N. (2010). The magical mystery four: How is working memory capacity limited, and why? Current Directions in Psychological Science, 19(1), 51–57. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721409359277
  • Cowan, N. (2014). Working memory underpins cognitive development, learning, and education. Educational Psychology Review, 26(2), 197–223. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-013-9246-y
  • Cowell, R. A., Cicchetti, D., Rogosch, F. A., & Toth, S. L. (2015). Çocukluk çağı kötü muamelesi ve nörobilişsel işlevselliğe etkisi: Zamanlama ve kroniklik önemlidir. Gelişim ve Psikopatoloji, 27(2), 521–533. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579415000139
  • Currie, N., & Muijselaar, M. M. (2019). Inference making in young children: The concurrent and longitudinal contributions of verbal working memory and vocabulary. Journal of Educational Psychology, 111(8), 1416–1431. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000342
  • Çakır, R., & Ergül, C. (2022). Investigation of Working Memory Performances of Children with Low Early Mathematics Achievement. Education and Science, 47(209), 133–153. https://doi.org/10.15390/EB.2022.10389
  • Çetin, A. (2019). Erken okuryazarlık becerileri eğitim programının erken okuryazarlık ve erken matematik becerileri üzerine etkisinin incelenmesi. [Investigation of the Effect of Early Literacy Skills Educational Program on Early Literacy and Early Mathematics Skills] [Unpublished dissertation]. Hacettepe Üniversitesi.
  • Demir, B. (2021). Working memory model and language learning. Shanlax International Journal of Education, 9(S2), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.34293/education.v9iS2-Sep.4366
  • Demirtaş, P. Ç. (2017). Okuma güçlüğü olan öğrencilerde okuma, sesbilgisel farkındalık, hızlı isimlendirme ve çalışma belleği becerilerinin incelenmesi. [Examination of reading, phonological awareness, rapid naming, and working memory skills in students with reading difficulties] [Unpublished master thesis]. Ankara Üniversitesi.
  • Doğan, M. (2011). Çocuklarda çalışma belleği, akademik öğrenme ve öğrenme yetersizlikleri. [Working memory, academic learning, and learning disabilities in children]. Türk Psikoloji Yazıları, 14(27), 48–65.
  • Downey, D. B. (2001). Number of siblings and intellectual development: The resource dilution explanation. American Psychologist, 56(6–7), 497–504. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.56.6-7.497
  • Edgar, E. V., Eschman, B., Todd, J. T., Testa, K., Ramirez, B., & Bahrick, L. E. (2023). The effects of socioeconomic status on working memory in childhood are partially mediated by intersensory processing of audiovisual events in infancy. Infant Behavior and Development, 72, e101844. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infbeh.2023.101844
  • Engle, R. W. (1996). Working memory and retrieval: An inhibition-resource approach. In J. T. E. Richardson, R. W. Engle, L. Hasher, R. H. Logie, E. R. Stoltzfus, & R. T. Zacks (Eds.), Working memory and human cognition (pp. 89–119). Oxford University Press.
  • Ergül, C., Ökcün-Akçamuş, M. Ç., Akoğlu, G., Demir, E., Kılıç‑Tülü, B., & Demir, Ş. (2017, October). Çalışma belleği ve ev erken okuryazarlık ortamı erken okuryazarlık becerilerinin gelişiminde etkili mi? Türkçe konuşan çocuklar örneği [Is working memory and the home early literacy environment effective in the development of early literacy skills? A sample of Turkish-speaking children] [Conference presentation]. 5. Uluslararası Okul Öncesi Eğitimi Kongresi, Ankara.
  • Ergül, C., Akoğlu, G., Demir, E., Ökcün Akçamuş, M. Ç., & Kudret, Z. B. (2019). 5 yaş grubu çocukların dil, erken okuryazarlık ve bilişsel becerilerinin gelişimsel profili ve okuma becerilerini yordama gücü: 3 yıllık boylamsal bir çalışma [Developmental profiles of language, early literacy, and cognitive skills of 5-year-old children and their predictive power on reading skills: A 3-year longitudinal study] [TÜBİTAK 1001 project report]. Ankara Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Fakültesi.
  • Ericsson, K. A., & Delaney, P. F. (1999). Long-term working memory as an alternative to capacity models of working memory in everyday skilled performance. In A. Miyake & P. Shah (Eds.), Models of working memory: Mechanisms of active maintenance and executive control (pp. 257–297). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Friso-van den Bos, I., Van der Ven, S., Kroesbergen, E., & Van Luit, J. E. H. (2014). Working memory and mathematics in primary school children: A meta-analysis. Educational Research Review, 10, 29–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2013.05.003
  • Gathercole, S. E. (2007). A working memory: A system for learning. In R. K. Wagner, A. E. Muse, & K. R. Tannenbaum (Eds.), Vocabulary acquisition: Implications for reading comprehension (pp. 233–248). The Guilford Press.
  • Gathercole, S. E., & Alloway, T. P. (2005). Understanding working memory: A classroom guide. Medical Research Council.
  • Gathercole, S. E., Lamont, E., & Alloway, T. P. (2006). Working memory in the classroom. In S. J. Pickering (Ed.), Working memory and education (pp. 219–240). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-012554465-8/50010-7
  • Gathercole, S. E., & Alloway, T. P. (2008). Working memory and learning: A practical guide for teachers. Sage Publications.
  • Gathercole, S. E., Pickering, S. J., Ambridge, B., & Wearing, H. (2004). The structure of working memory from 4 to 15 years of age. Developmental Psychology, 40(2), 177–190. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.40.2.177
  • Gökçe, E., Güneş, E., & Nalçacı, E. (2021). Çalışma belleği hakkında kısa bir gözden geçirme. Journal of Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, 74(1), 11–17. https://doi.org/10.4274/atfm.galenos.2020.87487
  • Guhl, P. (2019). The impact of early math and numeracy skills on academic achievement in elementary school (Master’s thesis, Northwestern College). NWCommons. https://nwcommons.nwciowa.edu/education_masters/203
  • Hanson, J. L., Chung, M. K., Avants, B. B., Rudolph, K. D., Shirtcliff, E. A., Gee, J. C., … Pollak, S. D. (2012). Structural variations in prefrontal cortex mediate the relationship between early childhood stress and spatial working memory. Journal of Neuroscience, 32(23), 7917–7925. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0307-12.2012
  • Hassamancıoğlu, U., & Doğan, Ö. (2021). Gelişimsel dil bozukluğu olan çocuklar: Dil gelişimi ve sözel çalışma belleği [Children with developmental language disorder: Language development and verbal working memory]. Ankara Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Fakültesi Özel Eğitim Dergisi, 22(4), 871–893. https://doi.org/10.21565/ozelegitimdergisi.742658
  • Holmes, J., Gathercole, S. E., & Dunning, D. L. (2010). Poor working memory: Impact and interventions. In J. Holmes (Ed.), Advances in child development and behavior (pp. 1–43). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-374748-8.00001-9
  • Holmgren, S., Molander, B., & Nilsson, L. G. (2007). Episodic memory in adult age and effects of sibship size and birth order: Longitudinal data. Journal of Adult Development, 14, 37–46. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-007-9029-0
  • Holmgren, S., Molander, B., & Nilsson, L. G. (2006). Intelligence and executive functioning in adult age: Effects of sibship size and birth order. European Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 18(1), 138–158. https://doi.org/10.1080/09541440500216150
  • Horton, M. K., Zheng, L., Williams, A., Doucette, J. T., Svensson, K., Cory-Slechta, D., Tamayo-Ortiz, M., Torres-Calápiz, M., Bellinger, D., Schnaas, L., María, M., Téllez, M., & Wright, R. (2020). Using the delayed spatial alternation task to assess environmentally associated changes in working memory in very young children. Neurotoxicology, 77, 71–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuro.2019.12.009
  • Huber, B., Yeates, M., Meyer, D., Fleckhammer, L., & Kaufman, J. (2018). The effects of screen media content on young children’s executive functioning. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 170, 72–85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2018.01.006
  • Jasielska, A., Kaczmarek, L., Brońska, A., Dominiak, M., Niemier, K., Patalas, D., Sokołowski, A., & Tomczak, M. (2015). The relationship between working memory and emotion regulation strategies. Roczniki Psychologiczne, 18, 567–578. https://doi.org/10.18290/rpsych.2015.18.4-4en
  • Ji, Z., & Guo, K. (2023). The association between working memory and mathematical problem solving: A three-level meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1091126. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1091126
  • Karaman, G. (2013). Erken okuryazarlık becerilerini değerlendirme aracının geliştirilmesi, geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışması. [Development of early literacy skills assessment tool, validity and reliability study] [Unpublished dissertation]. Gazi Üniversitesi.
  • Lynam, D. R., & Henry, B. (2001). The role of neuropsychological deficits in conduct disorders. In J. Hill & B. Maughan (Eds.), Conduct disorders in childhood and adolescence (pp. 235–263). Cambridge University Press.
  • Maden, K., Uzkul, S., & Öğretir, A. (2022). 4–6 yaş çocukların öz düzenleme becerileri ile anne tutumları arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi [Examination of the association between self-regulation skills of children aged 4–6 and their maternal attitudes]. Mehmet Akif Ersoy Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 64, 525–551. https://doi.org/10.21764/maeuefd.1024579
  • Miller, E. K., Lundqvist, M., & Bastos, A. M. (2018). Working memory 2.0. Neuron, 100(2), 463–475. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2018.09.023
  • Montgomery, J. W. (2003). Working memory and comprehension in children with specific language impairment: What we know so far. Journal of Communication Disorders, 36(3), 221–231. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0021-9924(03)00021-2
  • National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS). (2015). Working memory strategies. Report Writing Group. Erişim tarihi: 17/03/2025 https://assets.gov.ie/41303/64411cb9abed429cb775d5aefb459bed.pdf
  • Newbury, J., Klee, T., Stokes, S. F., & Moran, C. (2016). Interrelationships between working memory, processing speed, and language development in the age range 2–4 years. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 59(5), 1146–1158. https://doi.org/10.1044/2016_JSLHR-L-15-0322
  • Nikolaeva, E., Dunaevskaya, E., Burkova, S., Nikiforova, S., & Merenkova, V. (2021). Age characteristics of the working memory. E3S Web of Conferences, 258, 07016. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202125807016
  • Okşak, F. E. (2019). Sosyal kabul düzeyi düşük ve yüksek olan ilkokul 3. sınıf çocuklarının çalışma belleği performanslarının karşılaştırılması [Comparison of working memory performance of 3rd grade primary school children with low and high levels of social acceptance] [Unpublished master thesis]. Ankara Üniversitesi.
  • Pezzulo, G. (2007). Working memory. Institute of Cognitive Science and Technology. Erişim tarihi: 20.03.2025 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228394612_Working_Memory
  • Repovš, G., & Baddeley, A. (2006). The multi-component model of working memory: Explorations in experimental cognitive psychology. Neuroscience, 139(1), 5–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2005.12.061
  • Rezzagil, M. (2018). Erken çocukluk döneminde çalışma belleği ile okula hazırbulunuşluk arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi. [Analysis of relationship between working memory and school readiness in early childhood]. [Unpublished dissertation]. Hacettepe Üniversitesi.
  • Ricker, T. J., AuBuchon, A. M., & Cowan, N. (2010). Working memory. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Cognitive Science, 1(4), 573–585. https://doi.org/10.1002/wcs.50
  • Rintaningrum, R. (2019). Explaining the important contribution of reading literacy to the country’s generations: Indonesian’s perspectives. Journal of Turkish Science Education, 11(1), 3–23.
  • Rohde, L. (2015). The Comprehensive Emergent Literacy Model: Early literacy in context. SAGE Open, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244015577664
  • Rojas Barahona, C. A., Förster, C. E., Moreno-Rios, S., & McClelland, M. M. (2015). Improvement of working memory in preschoolers and its impact on early literacy skills: A study in deprived communities of rural and urban areas. Early Education and Development, 26, 871–892.
  • Rusli, Y. A., & Montgomery, J. W. (2017). Children’s comprehension of object relative sentences: It’s extant language knowledge that matters, not domain-general working memory. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 60(10), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1044/2017_JSLHR-L-16-0422
  • Sağlam, C., & Özyürek, A. (2022). Okul öncesi çocuklarda çalışma belleği ve erken okuryazarlık becerilerinin incelenmesi [An investigation of working memory and early literacy skills in preschool children]. Erken Çocukluk Çalışmaları Dergisi, 6(1), 82–101. https://doi.org/10.24130/eccdjecs.1967202261379
  • Saraç, S., Abanoz, T., & Gülay Ogelman, H. (2021). Okul öncesi dönem çocuklarının öz düzenleme becerilerinin bazı demografik değişkenler açısından incelenmesi. [Examination Of Pre-School Children’s Self-Regulation Skills in Terms of Some Demographic Variables]. Gelişim ve Psikoloji Dergisi, 2, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.51503/gpd.847786
  • Schore, A. N. (1996). The experience-dependent maturation of a regulatory system in the orbital prefrontal cortex and the origin of developmental psychopathology. Development and Psychopathology, 8, 59–87.
  • Shen, Y. (2025). Working memory growth and early Spanish reading interact to shape reading and math gains for Spanish-English emergent bilinguals. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 81, 102366. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2025.102366
  • Swanson, H. L., & Jerman, O. (2006). Math disabilities: A selective meta-analysis of the literature. Review of Educational Research, 76(2), 249–274. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543076002249
  • Şahin, S. (2012). Portage erken çocukluk dönemi eğitim programı [The Portage early childhood education program]. In Z. F. Temel (Ed.), Erken çocukluk eğitiminde yaklaşımlar ve programlar. [Approaches and programs in early childhood education]. (pp. 327–353). Vize Yayıncılık.
  • Tuncer, N. (2021). Çocukluk Dönemi Yürütücü İşlev Envanteri-Ebeveyn Formu’nun 48-72 aylık çocuklara uyarlanması ve bazı değişkenler açısından yordanma gücünün incelenmesi. [The Adaptation of the Parents’ Form of the Childhood Executive Functioning Inventory for 48-72 Month Children and the Analysis of Its Predictive Power in Terms of Some Variables]. OPUS International Journal of Society Researches, 17(35), 2052–2081. https://doi.org/10.26466/opus.832602
  • Ullman, H., Almeida, R., & Klingberg, T. (2014). Structural maturation and brain activity predict future working memory capacity during childhood development. Journal of Neuroscience, 34(5), 1592–1598. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0842-13.2014
  • Uluğ, E., & Öğretir Özçelik, A. D. (2024). 0–36 aylık çocuklarda çalışma belleği gelişimi üzerine sistematik bir inceleme. [A Systematic Review of Working Memory Development in Children Aged 0-36 Months]. Studies in Psychology, 44(3), 275–321. https://doi.org/10.26650/SP2023-1397478
  • United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). (2023). Early childhood development: Unicef vision for every child. UNICEF. Erişim tarihi: 21.08.2025 https://www.unicef.org/media/145336/file/Early_Childhood_Development_-_UNICEF_Vision_ for_Every_Child.pdf
  • Uykan, E., & Akkaynak, M. (2019). Ebeveyn tutumları ile çocukların öz düzenlemeleri arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi [The relationship between parenting attitudes and children's self-regulation]. Akademik Tarih ve Düşünce Dergisi, 6(3), 1620–1644.
  • Wijeakumar, S., Kumar, A., Delgado, L. M., Tiwari, M., & Spencer, J. P. (2019). Early adversity in rural India impacts the brain networks underlying visual working memory. Developmental Science, 22(5), e12822. https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.12822
  • Wu, Y., & Schutte, A. R. (2021). Attentional shifting mediates the relationship between parenting and working memory. Journal of Cognition and Development, 22(5), 667–677. https://doi.org/10.1080/15248372.2021.1976781
  • Yılmaz, B. (2015). 48-60 aylık çocuklar için erken sayı değerlendirme ölçeğinin geçerlik güvenirlik çalışması. [Determining the validity and reliability of Early Numeracy Assessment for 48 – 60 month old children] [Unpublished master thesis]. Adnan Menderes Üniversitesi.
  • Yılmaz, N. (2022). Okul öncesi dönem çocuklarının yürütücü işlev becerileri ile sosyal becerileri arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi. [The research of the relation between the executive function and social skills of pre-school period children] [Unpublished master thesis]. Trakya Üniversitesi.
  • Zelazo, P. D., & Carlson, S. M. (2012). Hot and cool executive function in childhood and adolescence: Development and plasticity. Child Development Perspectives, 6(4), 354–360. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1750-8606.2012.00246.x
There are 92 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Early Childhood Education
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Seden Abaci Karadeniz 0000-0002-1475-4378

Early Pub Date September 26, 2025
Publication Date October 3, 2025
Submission Date March 30, 2025
Acceptance Date July 11, 2025
Published in Issue Year 2025 Volume: 13 Issue: 3

Cite

APA Abaci Karadeniz, S. (2025). Working Memory Skills in the Preschool Period. International Journal of Turkish Education Sciences, 13(3), 1612-1641. https://doi.org/10.46778/goputeb.1668229