Working memory is a crucial cognitive skill that in layman’s terms, may be represented figuratively as a “mental Post-it note”. Working memory is the ability to process and remember information and also to work with that information at the point of need.
In her research, Dr Alloway worked with five-year old children, and followed them up six years later. She found that working memory is the best predictor of success in the classroom. It signals the potential of how well you are able to learn and perform.
Here are some interesting snippets on working memory that Dr Alloway shared from her research:
- Working memory is a better predictor of academic success than IQ. One can have a high IQ and still struggle in school.
- Working memory is not affected by family background or socio-economic status
- Approximately 10 per cent of students have poor working memory, which seriously affects their learning.
- Poor working memory can be improved through brain training, which in turn leads to better academic performance.
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We have an exciting and revolutionary workshop lined just for you during the coming March school holidays.
Do you know that we are on the cusp of a new scientific revolution in understanding how the brain works? Working memory, our ability to remember and manipulate information, is at the centre of this revolution.
Working memory is our brain’s post-it note. We use those little yellow slips of paper to make mental scribbles of information we need to remember and think about.
Cutting-edge research has shown that working memory—the ability to store and manipulate information—is the most important learning skill a child can have. Working memory is the foundation of good grades and a successful life beyond the classroom. Without it, students wouldfail at every task, and with it they can dramatically improve their classroom performance.
Can we increase our working memory space? Brain training is a growing and exciting new area in scientific research. In particular, there is a lot of evidence of our brain’s plasticity: that it can actually change—shrink or grow—depending on what we do. This has powerful implications for learning. If our brains keep growing as adults, it is so much more important to train our children’s brains while they are still developing.
Do come and join us for this exciting and revolutionary talk by Dr Tracy Alloway, Working Memory Expert & Author, Senior Lecturer & Director of the Centre for Memory & Learning in the Lifespan, University Of Stirling, UK.
Training Working Memory
Date: 15 March 2011
Time: 7 pm – 9pm
Venue: 193-197 Thomson Road, Goldhill Centre, Singapore 307633
(Next to Novena MRT)
Seats are limited, please RVSP at 67373511 or
register online NOW!