Memory by Ear and by Eye: Relationships to Reading Achievement.

In two experiments, visual and auditory memory were tested for good and for poor readers from the upper elementary grades. Under experimenter-blind conditions, no reading group differences existed for single-mode presentation in recognition frequency or recognition latency. With a multimodal presentation, latencies for poor readers were similar to those for the single-mode presentation. Good readers, however, had significantly faster latencies with multiple input. Generally, results supported dual encoding and self-terminating memory search hypotheses for previously encoded stimuli. Implications of the latency differences between reader groups are discussed with respect to the reading process and reading theory. (Author)