An Introduction to Working Memory and Learning Disabilities

Research is showing that working memory deficits underlie learning disabilities in both reading/spelling and math. Ongoing research is looking ... ConnectWithUs | TA@l’école A A A TA@l’école SignUp Login AboutUs| LearnAboutLDs| Resources| LearningModules| Educators’Institute AnIntroductiontoWorkingMemory Previous Next ShowTwitterFeed AnIntroductiontoWorkingMemory PrintResource AddtofavoritesWhatisWorkingMemory? Workingmemoryreferstoabrainsystem,ormentalworkspace,responsiblefortemporarilystoringandmanipulatinginformation.Itisdifferentfromshort-termmemory,whereinformationisstoredandrecalledinthesameformat;forexample,studentscanholdasetofnumbersinshorttermmemory,butinordertorepeatthosenumbersbackwards,theyneedtomanipulatetheinformation.Workingmemoryiswidelythoughttobeoneofthemostimportantmentalfaculties,criticalforcognitiveabilitiessuchasplanning,problem-solving,andreasoninganditisoftenincludedamongexecutivefunctions.ClickheretoaccessanLD@schoolarticleonexecutivefunctions. WorkingmemoryisdefinedbyMedecineNet.comasasystemfortemporarilystoringandmanagingtheinformationrequiredtocarryoutcomplextaskssuchaslearning,reasoningandcomprehension. ClassroomImplications Comparedtoshort-termmemory,workingmemoryplaysamoreinfluentialroleinstudents’academicperformance.Thisisbecausemanyacademictasksinvolvemultiplestepswithintermediatesolutions,andstudentsneedtorememberthoseintermediatesolutionsastheyproceedthroughthetasks.Examplesofworkingmemorytaskscouldincludeholdingaperson’saddressinmindwhilelisteningtoinstructionsabouthowtogetthere,orlisteningtoasequenceofeventsinastorywhiletryingtounderstandwhatthestorymeans.Inmathematics,aworkingmemorytaskcouldinvolvekeepingaformulainmindwhileatthesametimeusingtheformulatosolveamathproblem. Verbal(auditory)workingmemory Verbal(auditory)workingmemorytapsintothesound(phonological)system.Anytimestudentsareexpectedtofollowamulti-stepsetoforalinstructions,theyareusingtheseworkingmemoryskills.Astudentwhoisstillsoundingoutwordswhilereadingisrelyingheavilyonverbalworkingmemory.Thisisverytaxingtotheworkingmemorysystemandaffectsreadingcomprehension. Visual-spatialworkingmemory Visual-spatialworkingmemoryusesakindofvisualrepresentation.Itallowsstudentstovisualizesomethingandkeepitintheir"mind'seye."Studentsusethisskilltodomathandtorememberpatterns,images,andsequencesofevents. Workingmemorycapacityincreaseswithageduringchildhood.Youngchildrentypicallyhaveverysmallcapacitiesthatincreasegraduallyuntiladolescence,whenadultcapacitiesarereachedthataremorethandoublethatof4-year-oldchildren. However,thereissubstantialvariationinworkingmemorycapacitybetweenindividualsatthesameage.Inaddition,internalorexternaldistractionscaninterferewithworkingmemory,limitingcapacityevenfurther. Lowworkingmemorycapacityisnotstronglyrelatedtofactorsrelatingtothechild’sbackground,suchasinadequaciesinpre-schoolexperiencesoreducation,orwiththequalityofsocialorintellectualstimulationinthehome. Researchisshowingthatworkingmemorydeficitsunderlielearningdisabilitiesinbothreading/spellingandmath.Ongoingresearchislookingatwhetherthetypesofworkingmemorydeficitsaredifferentforreading/spellingdisabilitiescomparedtomathdisabilities.Thereisalsoongoingresearchonwhetherworkingmemorycanbespecificallytrained. RelatedResourcesontheLD@schoolWebsite ClickheretoaccessthearticleUnderstandingWorkingMemoryandLearningDisabilities ClickheretoaccessthearticleWorkingMemoryandCognitiveLoad ClickheretoaccessthearticleHowcanIsupportmystudentswithworkingmemorydifficulties? Clickheretoaccessarecordingofthewebinar"UnderstandingHowourStudentswithLDsProcessInformation:Contextualizingworkingmemoryandcognitiveload",presentedbyJeffreyMacCormackandIanMatheson Clickheretoreadthe'AsktheExperts'answertothequestion"Howdoweaddressworkingmemorydeficitsinstudentswithlearningdisabilities?" AdditionalResources Inherarticle,Workingmemoryintheclassroom,SusanE.Gathercoledescribesaclassroom-basedapproachtosupportingchildrenwithpoorworkingmemorycapacity,designedtoavoidworkingmemoryoverloadinstructuredlearningactivities.Clickheretoaccessthearticle. “WhatIsWorkingMemoryandWhyDoesItMatter?”anarticlebyAnnieStuart.Clickheretoaccessthearticle. References Brandenburg,J.etal.(2014).WorkingMemoryinChildrenWithLearningDisabilitiesinReadingVersusSpelling:SearchingforOverlappingandSpecificCognitiveFactors. JournalofLearningDisabilities,epubaheadofprint. Dahlin,K.I.(2011).Effectsofworkingmemorytrainingonreadinginchildrenwithspecialneeds.ReadingandWriting,24(4),479-491. DeWeerdt,F.,etal.(2013).WorkingMemoryinChildrenwithReadingDisabilitiesand/orMathematicalDisabilities.JournalofLearningDisabilities,46(5),461–472. MedicineNet,Inc.(2015).DefinitionofWorkingMemory.Retrievedfromhttp://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=7143 Peng,P.&Fuchs,D.(2014).AMeta-AnalysisofWorkingMemoryDeficitsinChildrenWithLearningDifficulties:IsThereaDifferenceBetweenVerbalDomainandNumericalDomain?JournalofLearningDisabilities,epubaheadofprint. Swanson,H.L.,etal.(2009).WorkingMemory,Short-TermMemory,andReadingDisabilities:ASelectiveMeta-AnalysisoftheLiterature.JournalofLearningDisabilities,42(3). ByLDAOeng|2017-01-27T19:42:23+00:00January27th,2017|Categories:ExecutiveFunction|Tags:Article,Evidence-Informed|0Comments ShareThisStory,ChooseYourPlatform! RelatedArticles LeaveACommentYoumustbeloggedintopostacomment. Close TweetsbyLDatSchool.