The effects of metamemory training on children's use of effective memory strategies

The purpose of the present study was to devise a training procedure which would provide children with effective memory monitoring skills. Memory monitoring ability seems to be a skill which is not well developed in young children. Research suggests that memory monitoring is an important factor in effective strategy utilization. That is, children must be aware of how well they are performing while utilizing acquisition strategies. In addition, they must understand that the acquisition strategies are having an effect on their performance. In the present study 72 second graders were randomly assigned to the experimental and control conditions. Only the experimental group received the memory monitoring training designed to encourage them to: 1) assess their performance while utilizing several acquisition strategies; 2) attribute changes in their performance to the utilization of the strategies; and 3) select the strategy which results in better performance. While the control group spent an equivalent amount of time with the experimenter, they did not receive the memory monitoring training. [...]