Memory Matters: Nurturing the Power of Working Memory

     A lot of people, especially if you live in the ADHD world, have at least heard of the term "working memory."  However, how many people actually know what it means and how it affects everyday life?  The purpose of this blog is to describe what working memory is and how it affects learning, as well as daily life...for all of us.  

    We all have working memory.  There is a threshold for how much working memory we all hold, and it's different for all of us because we all have different wiring in our brains!  You can think of working memory as the "sticky note of our brain."  

What is working memory?

        - It's a system for temporarily holding and manipulating information

        - It's a component of short-term memory


Why do we need working memory?

        - Problem-solving: when figuring out solutions to challenges or making decisions

        - Conversation: engaging in conversations by remembering what was said and formulating responses

        - Multitasking: switching between activities and keeping track of progress

        - Learning: when acquiring new skills, working memory is crucial for holding and manipulating                                    information in the short term

        - Navigation: following directions or finding your way, working memory helps you retain and apply                                spatial information


A real-life scenario of working memory in play:

        Imagine you go to the grocery store and realize, "Darn!  I forgot my shopping list!"  There you are, in the grocery store, tapping into your memory to try and remember what was on it.  As you make your way through the aisles, you are also trying to remember that recipe you wanted to make for dinner tonight and need to get the ingredients for it.  You are trying to remember what ingredients you already have at home.  So, while you are trying to remember the ingredients, your working memory is holding onto the rest of your "shopping list" as if by a "sticky note."   

    As I said earlier, working memory has a threshold.  As you make your way through the store, maxing out your working memory, you realize your daughter's soccer practice ended early today, and now you have forgotten! 


Moral of the story:

    Write it down if you can!  Don't waste that precious working memory space if you can use a tool or you can write it down.  


When it comes to students, when working memory is taxed, use a tool or mnemonic to help support their working memory.  That way, they focus on learning what they are supposed to be learning, not testing their working memory cognitive load.  

         (Example: Learning division - if students struggle with multiplication facts, give them a multiplication chart!  It's not cheating because you're supporting the working memory so they can learn the content related to the division concept and not be sidetracked by trying to remember their facts.)


"Working memory: the brain's notepad"



You can reach out directly by visiting www.CarolineTowery.com


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