There are an awful lot of words and phrases in edu-world that I like to think of as competing in the edu-pop charts. In the top spot is social mobility. It used to be growth mindset (currently coming in at number four), with the much maligned visual-auditory-kinesthetic and learning styles hovering somewhere near the bottom.
Steadily holding its place in the top 10 for some time now is working memory.
Working memory is closely linked with a child’s language acquisition and their ability to learn and sustain attention for a period of time (especially on something that is not of personal interest). So it is important for teachers to know something about it, particularly as it can be at the root of special educational needs and disability issues.
The first thing you need to know about working memory is that it forms just one part of the memory system. This system is made up of all sorts of bits: long term, short term, procedural, episodic, semantic and more. They work together and change in the growing child and ageing adult.
The second thing you need to know is that everyone’s memory capacity is different. And as memory is important for learning, differences can have a big effect on children’s experiences at school. If you think about your class, at any one time, you will have a vast range.
The third thing about working memory is that it’s related specifically to the ability to hold and manipulate bits of information, such as in reading, spelling or in performing a mental calculation - and that this capacity is limited in everyone. The information held in working memory will fade in a matter of seconds - and that is exactly what it is supposed to do.
Students with working-memory problems are likely to present with some form of educational need. They are also likely to be very aware of it: they forget and they know it. Teachers are likely to be aware of this, but not necessarily know that the students’ problems at school are down to memory - more that they never seem to be able to finish anything, they are easily distracted and lack concentration.
It is helpful to know what we mean by working memory and to identify the problem because children whose capacity is short can be supported in class in lots of ways; it doesn’t have to be a case of learning by rote (indeed, it really shouldn’t be). Stories, rhymes and songs, picture prompts, question design, the kind of teacher talk and student activity - all can make a surprisingly big difference. To be forgetful doesn’t mean that you can’t learn or achieve academic success.
Nancy Gedge is a consultant teacher for the Driver Youth Trust, which works with schools and teachers on SEND. She is the Tes SEND specialist and author of Inclusion for Primary School Teachers
