Why and how to study working memory development

Working memory is the information held in mind, and it is used in all sorts of problem-solving and comprehension. There are many different purposes for studying working memory development in childhood. Here I discuss some of the purposes, and bring up considerations of which kinds of tasks should be best-suited to each purpose. The purposes include investigations of
1) the extent to which working memory is already operational in infancy,
2) working memory correlates of cognitive maturational level, and intelligence,
3) working memory as a clue to the basic principles of cognitive growth in childhood,
4) working memory deficits as diagnostic signs of learning disorders,
5) working memory indices of the presently optimal level or complexity of learning materials for a particular child,
6) possibilities for training working memory as a means to enhance cognitive development,
7) working memory and brain function.
For each of these purposes, I discuss the prospects for study as I see them, with a few examples of recent work along the way.