Early gaps in working memory narrow but are persistent throughout elementary school

Percent with average or higher scores for verbal working memory from fall kindergarten to spring second grade and fifth grade, by household socioeconomic status

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Data collected SY 10-11 through SY 15-16. Working memory assessed with Numbers Reversed task from Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities. Minimum average score is the 25th percentile. Weighted by the ECLS-K:2011 cross-section full-sample parent weights: W1_2P0, W6CS6P_20, and W9C9P_20.

Chart: Munro RichardsonSource: Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-11 (ECLS-K:2011)Get the dataCreated with Datawrapper