Development of memory and learning skills in school-aged children: a neuropsychological perspective

While there have been significant theoretical advances in child neuropsychology in recent years, progress in clinical practice has been restricted owing to a lack of well standardized, developmentally appropriate assessment techniques. This paper addresses this issue, with the focus on memory and learning skills. These abilities are targeted because they are frequently impaired following brain damage in childhood, and because they are of central importance to the efficient acquisition of cognitive, educational and social skills throughout childhood. Using a normative sample of 376 children, aged 7.0 to 13.11 years, the paper describes the range of memory and learning skills in childhood, and interprets progress in these skills with reference to neurological and cognitive theory.