Tracy Packiam Alloway, PhD

When my research team interviewed Robert, a 10 year old, he was pleased to report that his memory for numbers is very good and he “can do 2, 5 and 10 times tables but 4 and 6 times tables are hard.” He said that if he can’t see the numbers he can’t remember them: “I need to have them written down because they don’t stay in my head.”

Like Robert, the student with dyscalculia has clear working memory deficits. However, the link between working memory and math skills depends on the age of the child as well as the type of math task. Verbal working memory plays a strong role in math skills in 7-year olds and is a reliable indicator of dyscalculia in the first year of formal schooling. Once children reach adolescence, verbal working memory is no longer significantly linked to mathematical skills. One explanation for this change is that verbal working memory plays a crucial role for basic arithmetic skills like learning arithmetic rules and retaining relevant data such as carried digits when they are young. However, as children get older other factors such as number knowledge and strategies play a greater role.

Visual-spatial working memory problems are also linked to dyscalculia. It has been suggested that visual-spatial memory functions as a mental blackboard to support number representation, such as place value and alignment in columns in counting and arithmetic tasks. We also use visual-spatial memory to solve multi-digit operations and problems presented visually, including those using blocks. Poor working memory is thought to be one explanation for dyscalculia because it limits their ability to remember mathematical rules, from basic concepts like counting in ascending and descending order, to more complicated algebraic functions.

Students with dyspraxia (DCD) can also have comorbid language impairments (SLI). While these developmental disorders are distinguished by the domain of principal deficit, they are both associated with significant learning difficulties. Studies that followed 7-year olds with dyspraxia found that they struggled with reading and comprehension by the time they were 10 years old. I wanted to know whether the combination of motor coordination difficulties plus language impairments lead to worse learning outcomes compared to those with only motor coordination difficulties or language impairments. I looked at three groups of students: 1) those with SLI but no dyspraxia; 2) those with dyspraxia but normal language skills; 3) those with dyspraxia + language impairments.

There were two key findings. First, visual-spatial memory was the single best test to successfully distinguish a student with dyspraxia from those with language impairments. If you have a student with dyspraxia but normal language skills, their memory profile is the same as those with dyspraxia + language impairments: they will have marked difficulties in visual-spatial working memory. The second finding was that despite relative strengths in language, those with dyspraxia but no language impairments performed as poorly as the group with dyspraxia + language impairments. This means that for a student with dyspraxia their working memory abilities determine their learning difficulties. Any strength in language that they have is not able to sufficiently support their learning. If their working memory is not addressed, then any additional strengths they have, such as in language, will not provide a sufficient platform for learning.

Alloway and Archibald (2008). Journal of Learning Disabiliities. READ

The 3Rs: reading, writing, and arithmetic. We all remember going to school and trying to memorize spelling words and our times tables, to write a coherent paragraph and to calculate our long division. But for some students, this clearly isn’t enough. Despite the focus on the 3Rs why do we still see so many students diagnosed with learning disabilities? Furthermore, why do these students fail to improve after one-to-one instruction or tutoring?

In a recent study that I conducted, I looked at a group of students from 8 to 11 years with learning difficulties. All the students were receiving extra educational support, like tutoring and special classes. I tested their IQ, working memory, and also looked at their grades in the 3 Rs. These students received special tutoring in small groups for the next two years. Yet, when I saw these students two years later, there were still performing at the bottom of the class! Their learning outcomes had not improved, they were still struggling. Except now they were becoming more frustrated because of their learning difficulties and this was manifesting itself as behavior problems, including truancy.

What happened to these students? Why didn’t they show any improvement?

I found that it was their working memory scores, but NOT their IQ, that determined their grades. If they had poor working memory, they struggled in reading, writing, and math. It didn’t even matter what their IQ was. Working memory was the critical skill linked to their learning.

What does this mean? Simply, that focusing on teaching reading and math isn’t enough. That ‘hard work’ without focusing on working memory is just hard work. That drilling the 3Rs without improving working memory is like entering a bike race with flat tires. This is not to say that the 3Rs are unimportant. They are! Even a child with the high working memory needs to learn the 3Rs to do well in school and life. However, if we don’t develop working memory skills, the 3Rs won’t make a difference.

*TP Alloway (2009) European Journal of Psychological Assessments. READ

READ THE ARTICLE IN THE NEW STRAITS TIMES

Cutting-edge research has shown that working memory—the ability to store and manipulate information—is the most important learning skill a child can have. Working memory is the foundation of good grades and a successful life beyond the classroom. Without it, students would fail at every task, and with it they can dramatically improve their classroom performance.

How can you make working memory work for children?

Join me for a seminar sponsored by Pearson Education and the educational publishers Sage Press:

Working Memory: How to Give Children the Competitive Edge

Lift the grades of your children and come to the seminar. Find out if your children are gifted and help them achieve their full potential. I will discuss unique and proven methods to give children the competitive edge. In a recent UK-wide study, students using JUNGLE MEMORY, a brain-training program based on my research and promoted by Pearson Education, improved from a grade C to a B, and a B to an A after just 12 weeks! It is the only training program scientifically proven to raise grades.

People around the world have said:

‘Dr. Alloway is excellent! Every educator should hear her.’ Educator, Massachusetts, USA.

‘Your research is a light at the end of the tunnel. Thank you!’

Sandie, Parent in South Africa.

‘Your work has struck a chord with many people. The news coverage of the training day means that the rest of the staff and parents now more about working memory than if I’d led a dozen staff meetings on the subject.’ Chris, Headteacher, UK.

WHERE: 10th floor, Menara TA One, 22 Jln P. Ramlee, KL 50250.
WHEN: Saturday June 20, 2009; 9:30am to 1pm.
COST: RM$100, which includes 1 complimentary subscription to Jungle Memory (a value of RM$115!)

Payment can be made on the day, however to reserve your space, please do email your name to: admin@memoryandlearning.com

Cutting-edge research has shown that working memory—the ability to store and manipulate information—is the most important learning skill a child can have. Working memory is the foundation of good grades and
a successful life beyond the classroom. Without it, students would fail at every task, and with it they can dramatically improve their classroom performance.

How can you make working memory work for your students?

Join me for a seminar sponsored by Pearson Education and the educational publishers Sage Press:

Working Memory: Give Your Students the Competitive Edge

Lift the grades of the whole class and come to this seminar. Find out how to identify gifted children and help them achieve their full potential. I will reveal unique and proven methods to give your students the competitive edge. In a recent UK-wide study, students using JUNGLE MEMORY (a brain-training program endorsed by Pearson Education), improved from a grade C to a B, and a B to an A after just 12 weeks! It is the only training program scientifically proven to raise grades.

Teachers around the world have said:

‘Dr. Alloway is excellent! Every educator should hear her.’ Educator, Massachusetts, USA.

‘Your research is a light at the end of the tunnel. Thank you!’ Sandie, South Africa.

‘Your work has struck a chord with many people. The news coverage of the training day means that the rest of the staff and parents now moreabout working memory than if I’d led a dozen staff meetings on the
subject. ’ Chris, Headteacher, UK.

WHERE: 10th floor, Menara TA One, 22 Jln P. Ramlee, KL 50250.
WHEN: Saturday June 20, 2009; 9:30am to 1pm.
COST: RM$100, which includes 1 complimentary subscription to Jungle
Memory (a value of RM$115!)

Spaces are in high demand so please register early.

To register, please email: admin@memoryandlearning.com with the teacher’s name and the school name.

Payment can be made on the day.

In the last few years, there have been various claims in the media on how simple exercises like jumping jacks and balancing can make children smarter.  In the UK, it was a matter of heated debate when a psychologist suggested that such exercise can actually improve reading skills. So is there any basis to these claims?

Well, yes and no. Let’s first look at the evidence for whether motor skills improve as a result of these exercises. If the exercise is simple like skipping, then you notice improvement in skipping skills very quickly. However, if the exercise is relatively complicated like hockey-puck shooting, then there is very little improvement, even after over 1000 practices!

What about learning? In a recent study, I asked students with learning difficulties and motor problems to take part in a 13-week exercise program. In addition to Brain Gym, they also did different balancing exercises, as well as trained their fine and gross motor skills.

You will probably not be surprised to learn that these students had better motor skills compared to the group that did not take part in this exercise program. However, these increased motor skills did not result in better reading and math scores! These students were still struggling in their academic attainments.

What does this mean? While I am certainly not discouraging exercise, this study, and a growing number like this, illustrate that it’s not enough to ask students to do some jumping jacks and skipping if we actually want to help them do better in the classroom.

READ THE ARTICLE

I was recently invited to write a blog for SharpBrains on a paper I published on this topic. Here is a copy of the blog post.

Working memory is our ability to store and manipulate information for a brief time. It is typically measured by dual-tasks, where the individual has to remember an item while simultaneously processing a sometimes unrelated piece of information. A widely used working memory task is the reading span task where the individual reads a sentence, verifies it, and the recalls the final word. Individual differences in working memory performance are closely related to a range of academic skills such as reading, spelling, comprehension, and mathematics. Crucially, there is emerging research that working memory predicts learning outcomes independently of IQ. One explanation for the importance of working memory in academic attainment is that because it appears to be relatively unaffected by environmental influences, such as parental educational level and financial background, it measures a student’s capacity to acquire knowledge rather than what they have already learned.

However little is known about the consequences of low working memory capacity per se, independent of other associated learning difficulties. In particular, it is not known either what proportion of students with low working memory capacities has significant learning difficulties or what their behavioral characteristics are. The aim of a recent study was to provide the first systematic large-scale examination of the cognitive and behavioral characteristics of school-aged students who have been identified solely on the basis of very low working memory scores.

In screening of over 3000 school-aged students in mainstream schools, 1 in 10 was identified as having working memory difficulties. There were several key findings regarding their cognitive skills. The first is that the majority of them performed below age-expected levels in reading and mathematics. This suggests that low working memory skills constitute a high risk factor for educational underachievement for students. This corresponds with evidence that working memory impacts all areas of learning from kindergarten to college. It is a basic cognitive skill that we need to perform a variety of activities, and we use it in core subjects like reading and maths, as well as general topics like Art and Music. Crucially, this pattern of poor performance in learning outcomes remains even when students’ IQ is statistically accounted. This fits well with evidence suggesting that working memory is even more important to learning than other cognitive skills such as IQ. For example, in typically developing students, I found that their working memory skills, rather than IQ, at 5 years old were the best predictor of predictor of reading, spelling, and math outcomes six years later.

The next major finding from the studies of students with working memory difficulties is that teachers typically judged the students to be highly inattentive, and have short poor attention spans and high levels of distractibility. They were also commonly described as forgetting what they are currently doing and things they have learned, failing to remember instructions, and failing to complete tasks. In everyday classroom activities, they often made careless mistakes, particularly in writing, and had difficulty in solving problems. In contrast, relatively few of the students were judged to exhibit the high levels of hyperactive and impulsive behaviors.

The final key finding is that students with working memory difficulties take a much longer time to process information. They are unable to cope with timed activities and fast presentation of information. As a result, they often end up abandoning the activities all together out of frustration. One way to overcome this difficulty is to provide them with a shorter activity and to allow for more time during tests.

Studies such as these demonstrate that students with working memory difficulties have an extremely high risk of making poor academic progress and are relatively common in the classroom - they represent approximately 10% of their age group in mainstream schooling. Without early intervention, working memory deficits cannot be made up over time and will continue to compromise a child’s likelihood of academic success. How can we support students’ learning? The first crucial step in supporting students with working memory impairments is proper diagnosis, which can be conducted by a school psychologist. However, at present working memory problems often go undetected in students or are misdiagnosed as attentional problems. There are several test batteries that can be used to assess working memory, including the Working Memory Index in the WISC. However, most assessment instruments that are currently available require considerable experience in the administration, scoring and interpretation of cognitive tests. One useful tool to identify and support students with working memory impairments is the Automated Working Memory Assessment (AWMA; Alloway, 2007 published by Pearson) . The benefit of the AWMA is that it is designed to provide a practical and convenient way for non-expert assessors such as teachers to screen their pupils for significant working memory problems, with a user-friendly interface. The automated presentation and scoring of tasks provide consistency in presentation of stimuli across participants, thus reducing experimenter error. The AWMA was used in the study described here, as well as in numerous peer-reviewed journal articles on the role of working memory in learning, anxiety, and development in typical and clinical populations.

The main goal of this article was to explore the link between working memory and academic performance. On the basis of a large-scale screening study of over 3000 student, 10% were found to have working memory impairments that jeopardize their chance of academic success. The majority perform below age-expected levels in all areas of learning and struggle to follow simple instructions in the classroom. These difficulties highlight the need for early assessment to identify those at risk. In a future article, I will discuss ways to help students with working memory problems, inc luding clinical trials demonstrating successful transfer of cognitive training to academic attainments.

REFERENCE:  Alloway et al. (2009). The cognitive and behavioral characteristics of children with low working memory.  Child Development, 80 , 606-621.

READ IT AT SHARPBRAINS

YOU CAN ALSO READ IT HERE AT SCIENTIA PRO PUBLICA (under ‘Psychology’)