Working memory is a critical skill that can undermine an individual’s abilities. In fact, some argue that working memory — even more than overall IQ – is the greatest predictor of academic success.
The NIH defines working memory as, “The retention of a small amount of information in a readily accessible form. It facilitates planning, comprehension, reasoning, and problem-solving.” I like to think of working memory as the post-it notes holding the information we need to perform a task.
If working memory is a low skill, it can show up as difficulties with:
Reading Comprehension – an inability to retain details and information. The gist of the information may be understood, but details are often missed.
Math – we work with many students who understand math concepts but do poorly in math due to careless mistakes. As math increases in difficulty, it also becomes more multiple step. Low working memory causes the “post-it notes” to peel off and careless mistakes are made and problem solving is inhibited.
Organizational skills – students with low working memory are forgetful which means assignments and tasks fall through the cracks. Often parents or teachers try to employ strategies to overcome this. For example, it would make sense to write assignments down in a planner if memory is low. However, students then often forget to use their planner due to low memory!
It’s also common that assignments are completed but then students forget to turn them in.
Verbal or written expression – working memory is also the ability to organize our thoughts. The ability to put our thoughts together to summarize a story in verbal or written form is often difficult with a working memory weakness.
Reading fluency – to be an effective and fluent reader, word recognition is critical. Poor working memory impacts this ability and students often end up sounding out all the words, guessing at words they do not recognize or skipping words.
It is also common for a young child to be able to sound out each individual letter sound of a word, but then struggle to blend them all by the time the get to the last sound.
Weak Working Memory & Attention Struggles
Working memory and attention issues go together. In fact, often poor attention (or ADHD) can result in low working memory. If an individual is not paying attention when being given instructions, it will appear they do not remember what they heard. However, the main issue in these instances is poor attention skills.
Working memory is one of the core skills we strengthen at LearningRx through our 1-on-1, individualized training. Our age range is 5 years old to 95 years old. Whether you have a young or older loved one struggling with working memory deficiencies, we can help! The first step is to contact the Woodbury location to schedule the initial assessment.
We are so grateful for coming across LearningRx! Hartney approached the notion of “cognitive training” with a healthy dose of 13yo reluctance, but graduated with a “you can’t get rid of me that easily” attitude as she heads off to 9th grade. This speaks volumes to not only the staff and trainers she worked with but the value she, herself, found in the work she did 3 times a week with them for 5 months. We see a greater confidence and sense that she can take on whatever comes at her in school. She knows she has the tools to be successful in a rigorous high school environment and we’re hopeful she’ll tap into all the skills she’s developed from day one. Time will tell, but we’re feeling positive! We’re happy to talk to anyone about our experiences and share the benefits we’ve seen for Hartney!
~Amanda B., Woodbury, MN
*Results based on past client; you or your child may or may not achieve the same results.