Tracy Packiam Alloway, PhD

Wow! I am so excited about your interest in working memory. I’d like to thank all those who participated in my Webinar on Working Memory, hosted by Pearson. We had delegates attending from all around the world.

Yesterday’s webinar was the largest ever hosted by Pearson, and the overwhelming numbers show that word is getting out! People are starting to realize that working memory really is the new IQ.

Once in generation a discovery comes along that dramatically alters our understanding of the human mind. Working memory is starting change what we thought we knew about intelligence, who is smart and who needs help. It is the great equaliser that levels the playing field between the most well-off students and the poorest. Because of working memory, students from all backgrounds can have a chance to succeed.

Just in case you didn’t attend the webinar, you may like to know that working memory is our brain’s post-it note. We use those little yellow slips of paper not only to jot down important information, but also to work with it, like when we use them to write down and cross out a to-do list.  In the same way, working memory allows us to make mental scribbles of information we need to remember and think about.

Working memory is the key to unlock success

Think about it. Those who are better at remembering and working with new information do better in life. They tend to get better grades and have higher paying jobs because they are better suited to adapt to the challenges before them. Able to make clearer choices about what they eat they are healthier. Able to make better decisions under stress they are able to overcome their anger. Able to work through stress at work instead of letting it overwhelm them.

Working memory is also the foundation for learning at school: in complex subjects such as reading comprehension, arithmetic, and word problems to simple tasks like copying from the board and navigating around school.

Now that educators have the key, how do we unlock success for all students? Stay tuned to find out.

If you have a question that wasn’t answered during the webinar, leave me a comment or send me an email.

Would you like to improve your students’ performance? Pearson Education is offering a complimentary webinar that will cover these exciting issues: READ MORE

• How a child’s working memory skills at the start of school (5 years old) predicts their performance six years later.
• Assessment of working memory and interventions you can incorporate in the classroom.
• How working memory is not linked to race or financial background. Working memory levels the playing field.