Abstract

The current study investigated the relationship between the working memory tasks and the phonological processes of Arab dyslexics in the primary stage in the State of Kuwait. The researchers used the descriptive research design. The sample of the study consists of 500 pupils (250 males and 250 females), their ages range from (9.05 ± 0.49) years old. The researchers used the working memory scale, the phonological awareness scale and the dyslexia examination scale. Findings of the study revealed that there is a negative correlation between Rapid Object Naming Test and both Forward Spatial Span Test and Backward Digit Recall Test. Also, there is a negative correlation between Backward Digit Recall Test and Rapid Letter Naming Test. Results also show that there is no correlation between some phonological processes (Syllables &Sound Deletion Test, Non-Word Repetition Test, and Non-Word Reading Accuracy Test) and the working memory tasks. It is shown that male pupils were slower than their female counterparts in the Rapid Object Naming Test and the Rapid Letter Naming Test. In addition, male pupils better performed in the Syllables & Sound Deletion Test, Non-Word Repetition Test, Non-Word Reading Accuracy Test, Forward Spatial Span Test and Backward Spatial Span Test tasks, Forward Digit Recall Test and Backward Digit Recall Test. It is also revealed that there is no significant difference between males and females in the tests of Sentence Repetition Test and Listening Span Test. With regard to nationality, it is revealed that there are significant differences between Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti pupils in the Syllables & Sound Deletion Test, Non-Word Repetition Test, Non-Word Reading Accuracy Test, Sentence Repetition Test and Forward Digit Recall Test in favor of non-Kuwaiti pupils. It is also revealed that there is no significant difference between males and females in the tests of Sentence Repetition Test and Listening Span Test. In addition, it is revealed that the performance of Kuwaiti pupils is slower than that of their non-Kuwaiti counterparts in the tests of Rapid Object Naming, Rapid Letter Naming. Whereas, no significant differences were detected regarding to nationality variable in the Forward Spatial Span Test, Backward Spatial Span Test and Backward Digit Recall Test.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.