8  Digit Span Forward

8.1 Task Description

Children listen to a string of single-digit numbers and are asked to repeat it verbatim.

8.2 Construct

The Digit Span task measures the construct of verbal short-term memory by assessing children’s ability to remember and repeat a sequence of numbers of increasing length.

8.3 Item Development

Ten items were developed. Item length ranges from 2 to 6 digits per item, and for each level of length, a total of two items were developed. The same string of items was used for the English and Spanish measures.

8.4 Scoring

Dichotomous fixed response format of 0 points for incorrect responses or non-responses and 1 point for correct ones. This assessment has a stop rule embedded: if the child is unable to repeat correctly the two items for a span length (e.g., the two items with four numbers), then the assessment ends.

8.5 Samples

Table 8.1: Demographic Characteristics of Samples for the English and Spanish Digit Span Forward Tasks
Characteristic
English
Spanish
K
N = 249
G1
N = 329
G2
N = 383
K
N = 45
G1
N = 65
G2
N = 72
Timepoint





    Fall 2023 248 (100%) 326 (99%) 346 (91%) 45 (100%) 65 (100%) 71 (99%)
    Fall 2024 1 (0.4%) 2 (0.6%) 36 (9.4%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 1 (1.4%)
    Unknown 0 1 1


Administration Format





    Not applicable 249 (100%) 329 (100%) 383 (100%) 45 (100%) 65 (100%) 72 (100%)
Race





    American/Alaskan Native 5 (2.0%) 5 (1.5%) 1 (0.3%)


    Asian 24 (9.8%) 35 (11%) 28 (7.8%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 1 (1.4%)
    Black/African American 35 (14%) 37 (11%) 40 (11%)


    Not reported 34 (14%) 64 (20%) 70 (20%) 28 (62%) 58 (89%) 60 (83%)
    Other 74 (30%) 46 (14%) 44 (12%) 16 (36%) 1 (1.5%) 3 (4.2%)
    White 72 (30%) 140 (43%) 175 (49%) 1 (2.2%) 6 (9.2%) 8 (11%)
    Unknown 5 2 25


Ethnicity





    Hispanic/Latin(o/a) 90 (36%) 151 (46%) 176 (50%) 43 (98%) 63 (97%) 66 (92%)
    Intentional nonreport 8 (3.2%) 3 (0.9%) 2 (0.6%)


    Not Hispanic/Latin(o/a) 151 (61%) 173 (53%) 172 (49%) 1 (2.3%) 2 (3.1%) 6 (8.3%)
    Unknown 0 2 33 1 0 0
Gender





    Female 127 (51%) 161 (49%) 169 (47%) 24 (53%) 40 (62%) 35 (49%)
    Male 122 (49%) 166 (51%) 188 (53%) 21 (47%) 25 (38%) 37 (51%)
    Unknown 0 2 26


Home Language





    English 191 (80%) 246 (76%) 276 (78%) 0 (0%) 1 (1.5%) 5 (6.9%)
    Spanish 32 (13%) 55 (17%) 53 (15%) 45 (100%) 64 (98%) 67 (93%)
    Other 17 (7.1%) 24 (7.4%) 24 (6.8%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%)
    Unknown 9 4 30


English Proficiency Label





    (Re-)Classified Proficient 9 (4.6%) 28 (8.8%) 20 (5.6%) 4 (15%) 6 (9.5%) 6 (8.5%)
    English Learner 37 (19%) 52 (16%) 54 (15%) 22 (85%) 56 (89%) 60 (85%)
    English-only 148 (76%) 237 (75%) 280 (79%) 0 (0%) 1 (1.6%) 5 (7.0%)
    Unknown 55 12 29 19 2 1
Ever IEP/504 11 (5.9%) 28 (11%) 29 (13%) 2 (4.8%) 5 (9.1%) 2 (6.9%)
    Unknown 64 67 159 3 10 43

8.6 Score distribution

Figure 8.1: Score Distribution of the English and Spanish Digit Span Forward Tasks

8.7 Criterion Validity Evidence

Forthcoming.

Table 8.2: Demographic Characteristics of the Concurrent Criterion Validity Evidence Samples for the English and Spanish Digit Span Forward Tasks
Table 8.3: Concurrent Criterion Validity Correlations for the English and Spanish Digit Span Forward Tasks