Metamemorial functioning of children with moderate learning difficulties

This study investigates whether children with moderate learning difficulties (MLDs) have a knowledge of which mnemonic strategies are available and applicable across a range of hypothetical memory tasks. The study compared the strategic awareness of 20 MLD and 20 typical children. Recall tasks were varied to include both discrete, abstract or context free items (described as 'non-authentic') and meaningful items (described as 'authentic'). The results suggest that, when required to make strategic judgments relating to the recall of non-authentic items, MLD children are significantly less efficient than their typical peers. Under these task conditions, the modal strategy mentioned was of the 'look/think/say' variety. By way of contrast, when required to make strategic judgments relating to the recall of authentic items the MLD children demonstrated mnemonic awareness that was equal to that of their typical peers. The implications of this for the design of strategy training programmes are discussed, with particular reference to the need to utilise the mnemonic awareness already at the disposal of MLD children.