Working Memory - Learning

Learning

There is now extensive evidence that working memory is linked to key learning outcomes in literacy and numeracy. A longitudinal study confirmed that a child's working memory at 5 years old is a better predictor of academic success than IQ.

The information needs to enter working memory before it can be stored into long-term memory. E.g. in vision, the speed with which information is stored into long-term memory is determined by the amount of information that can be fit, at each step, into working memory. In other words, the larger the capacity of working memory for certain stimuli, the faster these materials can be learned.

In a large-scale screening study, one in ten children in mainstream classrooms were identified with working memory deficits. The majority of them performed very poorly in academic achievements, independent of their IQ. Without appropriate intervention, these children lag behind their peers. A recent study of 37 school-age children with significant learning disabilities has shown that working memory capacity at baseline measurement, but not IQ, predicts learning outcomes two years later. This suggests that working memory impairments are associated with low learning outcomes and constitute a high risk factor for educational underachievement for children. In children with learning disabilities such as dyslexia, ADHD, and developmental coordination disorder, a similar pattern is evident.

In a classroom, common characteristics of working memory impairment include a failure to remember instructions and an inability to complete learning activities. Without early diagnosis, working memory impairment negatively impacts a child's performance throughout their scholastic career.

However, strategies that target the specific strengths and weaknesses of the student's working memory profile are available for educators.