Indicators of Working Memory Challenges

Downloadable PDF - Indicators fo Working Memory Challenges

Information adapted from International Dyslexia Association and Gemm Learning 

Indicators of Working Memory Challenges

Students tend to have trouble with:

• planning

• organizing

• carrying out daily chores such as running errands,

This is because it requires mentally formulating a “to do” list organized by time and location. Working memory allows us to keep track of priorities and helps us block the external or internal distractors that can derail us from the task at hand. Working memory helps us persist with tasks that require focused attention over time

Students may:

• perform below average in some or all areas of learning

• have difficulty with complex reasoning

• have trouble with tasks that have more than one step

• stop working because they have lost track of what they are supposed to do

• frequently engage in daydreaming

• lack skills in planning and organization

• have difficulty applying what they learned in a previous experience to a new situation

• have trouble remembering all the steps in oral directions

• have trouble thinking and doing at the same time

• appear highly distractible and inattentive but not impulsive or hyperactive

• demonstrate low self-esteem

• have relationships with peers but have difficulty following conversations in a group

• have a need to re-read text

• have difficulty following multi-step directions

• have difficulty staying engaged in class

• present with test anxiety, especially on multiple choice tests

• have a  need for more time and repetition

• present with inconsistent performance

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