Il ruolo della memoria fonologica nei processi di apprendimento della letto-scrittura in bambini con disturbo specifico del linguaggio e dislessia evolutiva

The aim of the present study was to examine phonological memory in children with reading difficulties with a history of Specific Language Impairment (SLI). Three groups of children were included in the study: two groups of 15 children with reading difficulties, one group with a history of SLI, and a group of 20 typically developing children. Phonological memory was assessed using three tasks: non-word repetition task (NRT), low-frequency word repetition and non-word recall. Data analyses indicated that both clinical groups had lower scores for non-word recall compared with typically developing children and the group with a history of SLI performed less well in word and non-word repetition tasks compared with the other two groups. In addition, differences between the groups emerged in relation to item characteristics and to the types of error produced. The role of phonological deficit in SLI and reading difficulties is discussed.