Keep It in Mind

Understanding and improving your working memory.

by Tracy Packiam Alloway, PhD

Working Memory in Any Language: Is It the Same?

Working memory is critical for many activities at school, from complex subjects such as reading comprehension, mental arithmetic, and word problems to simple tasks like copying from the board and navigating the halls. We have a limited space for processing information, and the size of various individuals' working memory capacity can vary greatly. Read More

When 1 + 1 = 5: Dyscalculia and Working Memory

Jacob's mother writes that ‘Jacob, 10-years-old, still struggles with number bonds to 10. Learning to tell the time is still slow - he has not mastered half-past. Although he managed to learn his 5x tables because we practiced all summer, this has now gone'. Read More

Is Technology Making Our Brains Lazy?

This is the question that I was asked this week on BBC Radio. A recent study from researchers at Columbia University found that people are less likely to remember what they read online, but they could remember where they read it.

These questions were raised: Is this a good thing? Are computers making us lazy? Are we reluctant to think for ourselves when you can Google it? Read More

ADHD and Medication: What's New?

The topic of medicating individuals with ADHD is still controversial. That is why I am always interested when research on this topic is published. I was recently asked to write a commentary on one such article that will appear in ‘Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology'. Read More

1 in 10 students have working memory problems: Find out why matters

Automated Working Memory Assessment Read More

Working memory is a better predictor of academic success than IQ

Working memory is the ability to hold information in your head and manipulate it mentally. You use this mental workspace when adding up two numbers spoken to you by someone else without being able to use pen and paper or a calculator. Read More