Working Memory: The Tutoring Secret To Academic Learning

In today’s “hurried world” we need to have a post-it note for everything. I hear parents and teachers telling kids all of the time, “Help me remember blah, blah blah……” “Do this, do that? Go here, no go there”. Then become increasingly frustrated when the kids and even themselves are exhausted trying to keep up with the demands. It may be working memory. In today’s high-tech, fast moving world, we are in desperate need of processing information quickly and holding on to more information more than ever before. The mental demands that we face requires strong mental ability, which needs nurturing and exercise.

Working memory is the number one cognitive skill effecting mental effort. And it can be improved.

Our son has ADHD and we thought it was the reason he couldn’t remember to bring his books and work assignments home.  We spent hours scouring the internet, until we came across the term “working memory” and the effects it has on children that suffer from it.  The symptoms matched what we saw in our son to a tee.  We found a tutor that works with Cogmed software to improve these issues.  After a couple of weeks of training, he improved somewhat. It wasn’t an immediate improvement. In the 2 or 3 weeks that followed his therapy, we noticed he was bringing his books home, and remembering his assignments. He consistently improved in the months that followed, and homework has become a routine instead of a nightmare.
– Melissa, Hendersonville, TN

Working memory is the system responsible for holding and processing of new and already-stored information. It is our ability to hold onto information in our mind and mentally manipulate information.

For example: Mental math, when you are at a store and you want to figure out the cost of an item that is 30% off.

You hold onto the fact that the shirt costs $29.99 and then deduct 30% from that price. Or what about phone numbers? Prior to cell phone contacts, if we wanted to call Susie, we would pick up the
phone, remember the name of the person we were calling, then remember the number attached to that individual.

Today we’ve reduced that multi-step process. Thanks to cell phone’s we can pull up the person’s name and hit call. Or better yet, lets just ask Siri to call the person. Within seconds we are talking to that person with little to no mental effort.

Working memory varies among individuals. Typically individuals with poor working memory in childhood do not catch up academically with their peers. However, this all can change when and if we improve working memory. The following are characteristics of children who struggle with working memory:

• Difficulty completing tasks
• Frequently losing things
• Easily distracted
• Poor academic growth
• Remembers content for daily quizzes but does poorly on tests
• Difficulty with timed tests
• Disorganized

If any of these characteristics resonate with you or your child and you are tired of spending countless hours on daily reminders, homework, and you feel that your child is working harder not
smarter, then change the game and seek an expert in the field of working memory. It will be the best investment you will make in your child’s academic future –  and their lives.

 

If you’re concerned about your child’s working memory, schedule a complimentary consultation with Kyra.  10 minutes just might solve a lifetime of issues for your beautiful child.