Working Memory is not only important, it is essential to learning!
Working memory is temporary short-term memory where the brain holds information in order to accomplish a task. You can think about it as short-term memory in action.
Some examples of when we use working memory are:
- Cooking from a recipe
- Remembering a phone number
- Predicting out several moves to make a chess move
- Remembering rules of a game
Working memory has limited storage.
Most people can remember about 7 items at a time. Unique learners often can remember only 5 items at a time.
When a student with limited storage capacity needs to memorize new information, retaining that information becomes an issue. Think of working memory as the RAM in your computer. If you do too many tasks at once on the computer without saving the file, the computer may become non-responsive and freeze. When a learner is presented with too many pieces of information to be learned in a short period of time, kids with working memory issues may become non-responsive and freeze. When given a list of 20 to 25 random words for a spelling test or a whole times table list in one or two weeks, a unique learner may not retain anything, while a neurotypical student may recall at least 70%. If spelling, writing, or math results in stress, meltdowns, or even shutdowns, you might as well save yourself and your kiddo the trauma. Nothing positive comes from that type of learning. Interestingly, fewer words or math facts will also benefit all learners.
Here are a few strategies that will make an immediate difference in working memory for any learner!
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Practice the “Rule of Five.”
Reduce the number of items to be learned to 5. No more. Sometimes only 3 or 4 is even better. If you are practicing spelling words, try 5 new words in a pattern at a time with no more than 5 review words in a single list. Explicitly explain the patterns of the new words. Explicitly explain the patterns of the review words as if you are explaining the rule for the first time.
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Present new information in patterns or categories.
Our brains thrive on patterns and organized information. We can double and triple the quantity of information to learn if it fits in a pattern. That’s why word families help young readers see patterns in words. That’s why skip counting helps to build flexibility in factoring.
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Provide activities that involve multisensory techniques – see it, say it, feel it at the same time.
Multisensory learning involves using at least 2 of our 5 senses simultaneously. The more you demonstrate and watch your child try, the easier it gets. Why multisensory? Because working memory involves the frontal lobe working in conjunction with other areas of the brain. So if you see a prompt, say it aloud or hear it, and do something to feel the information, the more areas of the brain will receive the input, store the information, and be able to access it later. Some fast and easy multisensory activities are play dough, a rice tray, or finger writing in shaving cream.
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Use mnemonic memory tricks.
Mnemonics use a cuing system that creates mental pictures or stories to create associative hooks for recalling information. Mnemonics are the trick people with “mega-memories” use to quickly memorize long lists of items, like the United States presidents or objects on a tray.
For academics, put picture cues or other memory cues to words or math facts. Times Tables the Fun Way or catchy songs are great ways to learn isolated math facts because they activate the right (picture memory) and the left (word memory) hemispheres of the brain.
Sight words are much easier to learn with mnemonic tricks, like “Big Elephants Can Always Understand Small Elephants” to spell the word “because.”
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Cue cards for processes can help remembering tasks like long multiplication, long division, and how to organize a paragraph.
Cue cards can be a simple list or a decision-making flow chart. I often use a flow chart to help students remember how to add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators.
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Repetition helps make neural pathways.
Short-term memories are transferred to long-term memories during sleep. If your child has sleep issues, those memories may be lost. The more often important information is reviewed, the more the information will be retained. Practicing small amounts with a little space in between rehearsals is better than copying information multiple times in one sitting. Without on-going occasional review, facts may be lost. Many of my high school students struggling in algebra forget multiplication facts, which leads to problems in factoring or working with fraction forms. We start reviewing multiples and factors so that algebra becomes manageable!
Working memory involves decision-making or action.
Two of the best non-academic tasks for building working memory are the games checkers and chess. Many of the games I design involve playing checkers while practicing vocabulary or math facts. Kids think they are having fun, but in reality they are doing complex skills that enhance the academic skill and working memory.
Working memory is used in following multiple step directions. If your child struggles in following directions, start by practicing following one direction at a time. Purposefully add one more direction at a time until your child can complete a series of directions that include at least 5 components.
Working memory is critical to learning. Without a solid short-term memory that involves associative hooks or an action, retention will be lost. The weaker a child’s working memory skills are, the more repetition needs to happen. You may get bored and think something “should” be learned after a couple of days. Just about the time you are ready to move on, kids with working memory issues are just warming up. If you want to homeschool or teach the way the child learns, provide more practice. Kids love things that are most familiar!
It takes practice to keep working memory sharp!
As with any skill, like playing the piano or a sport, we must practice. Games are amazing at helping kids practice skills. They can be played over and over again. They are fun, so the brain is relaxed and happy, which in turn allows working memory to flourish! Check out my folder games to make your homeschool or tutoring session more fun – and at the same time more effective!
