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Original poster

Working memory at 5 biggest predictor of academic success

103 replies

Cortina · 16/03/2011 07:36

Have recently heard this. It's interesting that working memory and IQ are separate (although related).

Good news is studies have proved it's possible to improve a child's working memory.

Children with a poor working memory are often seen as those who don't listen & don't focus.

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IndigoBell · 18/03/2011 11:34

there is also auditory memory, which is very important in the classroom.

Not sure but guessing there must be some kind of visual memory as well.....

ClenchedBottom · 18/03/2011 11:39

Yes, auditory and visual memory are within the short and/or working memory systems.

curtaincall · 18/03/2011 11:42

I have tried memorising this with ds (6) and wanted to make a serious point about music and rhyme being an aid to memory. I can remember endless lyrics to the most banal songs but not much else! (Posted on another thread but wanted to spread the laughter and thought this relevant.)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nem0bkErGVY

cornsilk678 · 18/03/2011 11:50

there are things that teachers and parents can do to support a weak working memory. It's a real difficulty for many children and is often not recognised by teachers as such. Children can easily become negatively labelled as not paying attention etc which can lead to low self esteem and a general lack of engagement with the learning process. Allowing children to use concrete apparatus is one thing that teachers can do to support pupils with a weak working memory but this is often phased out in KS2.

IndigoBell · 18/03/2011 12:08

Cornsilk - yes there are various ways to compensate.

But I'm still interested in the original question - can you improve working memory? (And obviously, if so how)

My DD has been assessed by 2 EPs and 1 said working memory can't be improved, and the other one recommended various memory games.

I think the various memory games she is doing is a waste of time - but I don't know how memory is measured, or even what type of memory they are trying to improve.

But I'm almost positive school also don't know this. (Going to be asking them this next week.) So she is doing 15 mins a week (or whatever) of memory games - and no one knows if this is a good use of her time.......

So if anyone can tell me

  • How school can measure working memory
  • and how to improve it

I'd be very grateful. But I don't really want DD playing endless memory games if there is no reason to think that it will improve her working memory.

However if there is some reason to think it would help, then of course I would like this intervention to continue.

walsingham · 18/03/2011 14:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

hmc · 18/03/2011 15:00

Fucking brilliant - working memory big problem for dyslexics like dd Sad

ClenchedBottom · 18/03/2011 15:12
  • Indigo - about the EPs saying different things, I would guess that the first EP was saying that it's hard to improve WM and the child's ability to apply an increased ability to play memory games to wider learning contexts, whereas the second EP was just thinking about the ability to play the games. Of course, I could be wrong in my interpretation.
ClenchedBottom · 18/03/2011 15:13

hmc - I know, it's really tough and not what you want to hear. But it's not all about your DD - what about her teachers' awareness of the issues and what they should be doing to support your DD's WM skills?

ClenchedBottom · 18/03/2011 15:14

hmc - sorry my last comment doesn't 'read' quite right - please don't think I'm dismissing your DD's difficulties, that wasn't my intention! Blush Confused

IndigoBell · 18/03/2011 15:28

DD also found Jungle memory to be far too hard.

There is a cheaper version of CogMed - which I haven't got round to trying yet. (I'll try and find the link)

HMC - don't depsair. I have improved DDs memory - just not trough 'memory games'. Rather through Omega Fish Oil and Auditory Integration Training.

haggisaggis · 18/03/2011 15:29

My dd (dyslexic - working memory 23rd percentile) certainly does struggle and I would love to know how to improve it. I live near Stirling - maybe I should get more info on this study.

IndigoBell · 18/03/2011 15:34

ClenchedBottom - that's exactly how I interpreted the 2 EPs comments.

ClenchedBottom · 18/03/2011 16:05

Indigo - sorry if I came across as patronising, I'm not communicating well today1

IndigoBell · 18/03/2011 16:32

You weren't patronising! Stop being paranoid Grin

Just like everyone else on this thread I want to know if it's sensible to do 30 mins of memory games with DD every day or not....

And so far, I don't think we've come to any conclusion :)

hmc · 18/03/2011 17:46

ClenchedBottom - your post was just fine - didn't think you were being dismissive Smile.

Omega fish oils - of course, that is something very simple and straight forward I could try. Auditory Integration Training? - are there any tools I can use for that on line or otherwise?

ClenchedBottom · 18/03/2011 18:35

Ah, glad to hear I've not been offending people - Indigo, I was worried that I'd been irritating in 'stating the obvious'!

hmm, I actually think that there are benefits in encouraging DC to think about how we remember things, and to focus on finding strategies that work for them, so games can be helpful - it's the tricky unknown about transfering this knowledge to wider contexts that's the toughie.

I wish there were clearer answers for you.

ClenchedBottom · 18/03/2011 18:35

Not that I'm saying that I have the answers!

Gosh, I'm paranoid this evening, aren't I???? Confused

mrz · 18/03/2011 18:54

presentation by Tracy Alloway

IndigoBell · 18/03/2011 21:14

Thanks for that link.

It says that working memory can be improved by playing Jungle Memory ( I presume she also has some connection to it?)

Only problem is - it is totally not suitable for kids with severe memory problems like my DD and walsingham's DD. It is too hard.

Although it might well be fantastic for more able kids....

Challenging our minds is the cheaper version of CogMed. It may work, I don't know. But DD doesn't have a spare half hour a day to do memory games on top of all her other homework and reading :(

Has anybody else tried it?

walsingham · 18/03/2011 21:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

IndigoBell · 18/03/2011 21:54

Aaaaah, that's starting to make sense.

As most of you know by now in the last 3 months I have done 3 diff things with DD - all of which appear to have improved her working memory

  • Vision Therapy
  • Omega Fish Oil
  • Auditory Integration Training.

I think the Omega Fish Oil has some important thing your brain needs.

But I guess the vision therapy and AIT have just worked by improving her vision and hearing. So instead of spending all her processing power trying to decode what she was seeing and hearing - she had some processing power left to retain info....

dolfrog · 18/03/2011 23:06

Cortina also having problems locating the studies.
I put working memory into the PubMed Search engine, and got a long list of 2011 research papers can you tell me which one it is

sydenhamhiller · 19/03/2011 07:25

Can I ask which omega fish oil tablets you use? Was listening to a programme on radio that was saying a lot of children' vitamins with omega fish oil were no use at all... Guy at local health food store always ends up flogging me far more than I need, so just thought I'd swot up first...

MollieO · 19/03/2011 07:34

You can certainly improve visual memory. Ds was assessed last year with poor visual memory. Since then he has been doing various exercises to improve it and they have definitely made a difference.

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