Working Memory: Understanding and Strengthening This Essential Cognitive Function
Working memory is the ability to temporarily hold information in memory while mentally manipulating it. A true "mental workspace," it is involved in virtually all cognitive activities: language, reading, calculation, reasoning. Often impaired in cases of ADHD, DYS disorders, and language disorders, it can be supported by effective compensation strategies.
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Working memory games Sequences to memorize Memorization strategies📋 In This Article
What Is Working Memory?
Working memory is a short-term memory system that not only allows temporary storage of information (for a few seconds to a few minutes), but also active manipulation of it. It differs from simple short-term memory through this active processing component.
Imagine having to mentally calculate 47 + 38. You must simultaneously hold both numbers, apply the addition procedure, manage carries, and produce the result. It is your working memory that orchestrates all of this. If it is limited, some of the information will be "lost" along the way.
🔬 Working Memory vs Short-Term Memory
Short-term memory is passive storage (holding a phone number long enough to write it down). Working memory involves active manipulation (holding a number and reversing it). Working memory therefore includes short-term memory but goes beyond it.
Baddeley's Model
The reference model of working memory was proposed by Alan Baddeley in 1974 and has been enriched over the years. It comprises several distinct components:
| Component | Function | Concrete Example |
|---|---|---|
| Phonological loop | Stores and rehearses verbal/auditory information | Mentally repeating a phone number |
| Visuospatial sketchpad | Stores and manipulates visual and spatial information | Mentally picturing a route |
| Central executive | Coordinates systems, manages attention, manipulates information | Deciding which information to process first |
| Episodic buffer | Integrates information from different sources into coherent episodes | Linking what you see and what you hear |
The Phonological Loop in Detail
The phonological loop is particularly important for language and reading. It comprises two subsystems:
- The phonological store: maintains acoustic traces for about 2 seconds
- Articulatory rehearsal: mentally "repeats" information to keep it active (subvocalization)
This is why we remember a series of short words better than long words (word length effect), and why a concurrent task like counting aloud disrupts verbal memorization (articulatory suppression).
Working Memory Development
Working memory capacity increases progressively with age, primarily due to the maturation of the prefrontal cortex, which is only complete in adulthood (around age 25).
| Age | Average Verbal Span (digits) | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| 4 years | 3-4 items | Beginning use of subvocal rehearsal |
| 7 years | 5 items | More systematic rehearsal strategies |
| 10 years | 6 items | Beginning of chunking strategies |
| Adult | 7 ± 2 items | Elaborate strategies, automation |
Impact on Learning
Working memory is involved in virtually all academic learning. A deficit has wide-ranging repercussions and can mimic or worsen other disorders.
In Reading
- Difficulty keeping the beginning of the sentence in memory while decoding the end
- Losing the thread of the text: forgetting what was just read
- Difficulty making inferences (connecting distant information)
- Overload during decoding for the beginning reader
In Writing
- Forgetting ideas while writing
- Difficulty simultaneously managing spelling, syntax, and content
- Incomplete or incoherent sentences
- Difficulty revising one's text (keeping the original version in mind)
In Mathematics
- Errors in mental calculation (losing intermediate results)
- Difficulty with multi-step problems
- Forgetting carries
- Difficulty following long procedures
In Oral Communication
- Difficulty following long instructions
- Losing the thread of the conversation
- Difficulty constructing complex sentences
- Problems with listening comprehension for long statements
Signs of a Working Memory Deficit
🔍 Signs to Watch for in Daily Life
- Forgetting instructions immediately after hearing them
- Losing track of what they're doing, seeming "disconnected"
- Needing frequent repetition
- Difficulty copying (forgetting between the board and the paper)
- Unable to follow a sequence of instructions
- Abandoning multi-step tasks
- Difficulty retelling in order (losing the thread)
- Errors by omission rather than reasoning errors
Working Memory Assessment
Working memory is assessed by a neuropsychologist or psychologist, often as part of an intellectual assessment (WISC-V) or attention assessment. Classic tests include:
- Forward digit span: repeating series of numbers (short-term memory)
- Backward digit span: repeating in reverse (working memory)
- Letter-number sequencing: reorganizing a mixed sequence (letters in alphabetical order, numbers in ascending order)
- N-back: indicating if the current item is identical to the one N positions before
- Updating tasks: retaining the last items from a scrolling list
Compensation Strategies
Research shows that compensation strategies are often more effective in daily life than "pure" working memory training attempts. The idea is to reduce the load on working memory rather than trying to increase it.
📝 Externalize Information
Everything that is written down doesn't need to be remembered. Encourage the use of notes, lists, reminders, calendars, reminder apps. It's not "cheating," but a legitimate compensation strategy.
🔢 Break Down Information (Chunking)
Present information in small units. One instruction at a time. Check understanding and execution before moving on. Avoid multiple instructions ("put away your backpack, get your coat, and put on your shoes").
🔄 Repeat and Rephrase
Have the child repeat the instructions to verify proper encoding. Encourage mental self-repetition. Rephrase information in different ways.
🖼️ Use Visual Supports
Pictures, pictograms, diagrams remain visible and don't need to be held in memory. Visual sequences for routines, illustrated checklists, written supports.
🔗 Create Connections and Meaning
Meaningful information is better retained. Connect new information to existing knowledge. Use mnemonic devices (acronyms, stories, mental images).
Training Exercises
Although the transfer of training gains to academic learning is subject to scientific debate, working on working memory can be beneficial, particularly for becoming aware of one's strategies.
Verbal Exercises
- Increasing span: repeating increasingly long series of words/numbers
- Reverse span: repeating backwards (requires more manipulation)
- Missing words: repeating a series while omitting a specific word
- Updating: retaining the last 3 words from a scrolling list
Visuospatial Exercises
- Sequence reproduction: reproducing a sequence of positions/colors
- Memory with manipulation: finding pairs + remembering their position
- Mental routes: mentally following a route described orally
Dual Tasks
- Counting while performing a task: maintaining a count while doing something else
- Delayed recall: retaining information, performing an intervening task, then recalling
Our Downloadable Tools
🧠 Working Memory Games
Fun and progressive activities to engage verbal and visuospatial working memory. Various difficulty levels.
Download🔢 Sequences to Memorize
Cards with visual sequences of increasing difficulty to memorize and reproduce. Training for the visuospatial sketchpad.
Download💡 Memorization Strategies
Illustrated sheets presenting mnemonic techniques adapted for children: chunking, visualization, associations.
Download📋 Visual Routine Sequences
Breaking down daily routines into visual steps to offload working memory.
DownloadFrequently Asked Questions
Research shows mixed results. Training generally improves performance on trained tasks, but transfer to academic learning is more uncertain. Compensation strategies (externalization, chunking, visual supports) are often more effective in daily life than pure training.
ADHD often includes a working memory deficit, but they are not the same thing. ADHD is characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Working memory deficit is a frequent component of ADHD but can also exist in isolation or in other disorders (dyslexia, DLD).
The keys are: one instruction at a time, have them repeat, use visual supports (lists, pictograms), establish routines that automate action sequences, and don't hesitate to write down what needs to be remembered. Avoid overloading: it's better to have multiple small tasks than one large complex task.
No. A working memory deficit is not a lack of motivation or effort. The child is not "forgetting on purpose" instructions or losing track. It is a real limitation of their cognitive capacity that requires accommodations, not reprimands.
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Discover all tools →Article written by the DYNSEO team in collaboration with neuropsychologists. Last updated: December 2025.
