PIE - Parents in Education Developing learning skills
WORKING MEMORY - What is it? How can we improve it?
Working memory
• Is how we hold on to new information so we can turn around and use it in some way
• It allows us to hold information without losing track of what we’re doing
• It helps us learn and follow directions
• It is like a temporary sticky-note in our brain
• It holds new information in place so the brain can work with it briefly and perhaps link it with other information
• It is not only for short-term use
• It helps the brain to organise new information for long-term storage
Working memory boosters can be built into everyday life. Here are a couple of ideas.
* Play Card Games - Simple card games like Crazy Eights, Uno and Go Fish can improve working memory in two ways. Players have to:
* keep the rules of the game in mind
* remember what cards they have and which cards other people have played
* Games using Visual Memory - There are lots of matching games that can help your child work on visual memory eg Memory, Snap, or try the following:
Use a magazine page and ask your child to circle all instances of the word the or the letter b in one minute.
Play the number plate game. Take turns reciting the letters and numbers on a number plate (without peeking) and then say them / read them backwards too.