Working Memory and Classroom Learning

Several children in a typical classroom experience persistent learning difficulties that are likely to reflect weak cognitive skills (Holmes et al., 2020). In some cases, these are related to poor working memory. In this chapter, we discuss how limited working memory resources constrain classroom learning, focusing on the impact of poor working memory on children's abilities to follow both classroom management and learning-activity relevant instructions (e.g., Jaroslawska et al., 2016; 2017). Different ways to help children with poor working memory are discussed. These include an overview of current ideas about memory enhancement by training and brain stimulation (e.g., Byrne et al., 2020), as well as more practical ways for teachers to use action to improve children's instruction-following.