Working Memory

1234ats

A relative of mine has recently given me a copy of a research report on education released by the Education Department of Western Australia. I don’t have time to go through the lengthy report but it seems that it is quite comprehensive. Hereunder is an extract from the report about Working Memory which I am very much interested in, since my son has this “Working Memory” problem.


Working Memory

Working memory, which is sometimes called M-space (Mental Space), is very different from long or short memory. It is, in effect, a measure of the number of discrete elements which the mind can cope with at any one time. A good analogy is that of the juggler, who can juggle competently with four or five balls, but when given one too many, will drop the lot.

Once ideas and skills become familiar as a result of practice over a period of time, two things happen. One is that the learner does not have to think consciously about how to do them anymore, so much less space is taken up in the working memory, e.g. spelling a very familiar word. The other is that several different skills gradually become one skill. For example when learning to print children have to manipulate the pencil, remember the formation of the letters and consider the order in which the marks have to appear on the page. With practice these individual skills will integrate to become one skill.

Any emotional issue or concern will “fill up” the mental space more quickly than anything else. Fear, anger or worry may totally inhibit a person’s capacity to learn. Most people have had the experience of being unable to concentrate because their mind is fully taken up by an all-consuming emotion. The only thing to do is to give oneself time to “get it together” again. In the mean time performance on any task will be poor and will continue to deteriorate until the cloud of emotion has lifted. If people say “I just couldn’t think straight”, they are usually speaking the truth.

Children

Children focus their entire attention on one element which they perceive to be a challenge. Young children can only cope with one or two different factors at once. As they get older they can juggle with an increasing number of elements, although there is a limit to the amount anyone can handle.

In coming to terms with the written language:

(i)        children may only be able to focus on one or two different factors at any one time. For example, during a shared reading lesson one child may focus on the meaning and spelling of an unusual word in a story, whereas another may be emotionally involved with the characters. Neither may have “heard” the teacher explaining the use of speech marks.

(ii)        as they focus on one skill children may temporarily lose competence in another very familiar skill. For example when a child is absorbed in getting ideas onto paper the quality of handwriting may deteriorate.

(iii)        children need to practise and apply a particular aspect of language in a number of contexts until it becomes automatic. Opportunities to parctise in stimulating circumstances constitute an important component of all language programs, so that “mental space” is made available for more complex learning.

(iv)        children may appear to make significant regressions if their “mental space” is fully taken up with an emotional issue relating to home or school.

MrBeast

Have u tried a game called N-Back? Some free egs on ios

1234ats

Mr Beast

剛剛 search 了一會，YouTube也有些介紹 N-Back 的 video, 看來應該會對訓練 Working Memory 有幫助。 謝謝。