Working Memory: Understanding and Strengthening This Essential Cognitive Function

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Working Memory: Understanding and Strengthening This Essential Cognitive Function

Working memory is the ability to temporarily maintain information in memory while mentally manipulating it. A true "mental workspace," it is involved in practically all cognitive activities: language, reading, calculation, reasoning. Often deficient in ADHD, DYS disorders, and language disorders, it can be supported by effective compensation strategies.

🧠 Download our working memory tools

Working memory games
Sequences to memorize
Memorization strategies

What is working memory?

Working memory is a short-term memory system that allows not only temporary storage of information (for a few seconds to a few minutes), but also actively manipulating it. It differs from simple short-term memory through this active processing component.

Imagine you need to mentally calculate 47 + 38. You must simultaneously retain both numbers, apply the addition procedure, manage the carry-over, and produce the result. It's your working memory that orchestrates all of this. If it's limited, part of the information will be "lost" along the way.

🔬 Working memory vs short-term memory

Short-term memory is passive storage (retaining a phone number long enough to write it down). Working memory involves active manipulation (retaining 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 then enriched over the years. It comprises several distinct components:

Component	Function	Concrete example
Phonological loop	Stores and repeats verbal/auditory information	Mentally repeating a phone number
Visuospatial sketchpad	Stores and manipulates visual and spatial information	Mentally representing a route
Central executive	Coordinates systems, manages attention, manipulates information	Deciding which information to process as priority
Episodic buffer	Integrates information from different sources into coherent episodes	Linking what we see and what we hear

The phonological loop in detail

The phonological loop is particularly important for language and reading. It comprises two sub-systems:

The phonological store: maintains acoustic traces for about 2 seconds
Articulatory rehearsal: mentally "repeats" information to keep it active (subvocalization)

This is why we better retain a series of short words than long words (word length effect), and why a concurrent task like counting aloud disrupts verbal memorization (articulatory suppression).

Development of working memory

Working memory capacity progressively increases with age, mainly due to the maturation of the prefrontal cortex which is not complete until adulthood (around age 25).

Age	Average verbal span (digits)	Characteristics
4 years	3-4 elements	Beginning of subvocal rehearsal use
7 years	5 elements	More systematic rehearsal strategies
10 years	6 elements	Beginning of chunking strategies
Adult	7 ± 2 elements	Elaborate strategies, automatization

Impact on learning

Working memory is involved in practically all academic learning. A deficit has broad repercussions and can mimic or worsen other disorders.

In reading

Difficulty maintaining 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 in beginning readers

In writing

Forgetting ideas while writing
Difficulty simultaneously managing spelling, syntax and content
Incomplete or incoherent sentences
Difficulty revising text (keeping the original version in mind)

In mathematics

Errors in mental calculation (losing intermediate results)
Difficulty with multi-step problems
Forgetting carry-overs
Difficulty following long procedures

Orally

Difficulty following long instructions
Losing the thread of conversation
Difficulty constructing complex sentences
Oral comprehension problems for long statements

Signs of a working memory deficit

🔍 Signs to watch for daily

Forgets instructions immediately after hearing them
Loses track of what they're doing, seems to "disconnect"
Needs frequent repetition
Difficulty copying (forgets between the board and paper)
Cannot follow a sequence of instructions
Abandons multi-step tasks
Difficulty telling stories in order (loses the thread)
Errors by omission rather than reasoning errors

Assessment of working memory

Working memory is assessed by a neuropsychologist or psychologist, often as part of an intellectual assessment (WISC-V) or attentional assessment. Classic tests include:

Forward digit span: repeating series of digits (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 elements of a scrolling list

Compensation strategies

Research shows that compensation strategies are often more effective in daily life than attempts at "pure" working memory training. The idea is to reduce the load on working memory rather than trying to increase it.

📝 Externalize information

Everything that is written doesn't need to be remembered. Encourage the use of notes, lists, reminders, calendars, reminder apps. This isn't "cheating" but a legitimate compensation strategy.

🔢 Chunk information

Present information in small units. One instruction at a time. Check understanding and execution before moving to the next step. Avoid multiple instructions ("put away your schoolbag, get your coat and put on your shoes").

🔄 Repeat and rephrase

Have the child repeat instructions to verify proper encoding. Encourage mental self-repetition. Rephrase information in different ways.

🖼️ Use visual supports

Images, pictograms, diagrams remain visible and don't need to be maintained in memory. Visual sequences for routines, illustrated checklists, written supports.

🔗 Create links and meaning

Meaningful information is better retained. Connect new information to existing knowledge. Use mnemonic devices (acronyms, stories, mental images).

Training exercises

While the transfer of training gains to academic learning is scientifically debated, working on working memory can be beneficial, particularly for becoming aware of strategies.

Verbal exercises

Progressive span: repeating increasingly long series of words/digits
Reverse span: repeating in reverse (more demanding on manipulation)
Missing words: repeating a series while omitting a specific word
Updating: retaining the last 3 words of 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 task

Counting while doing a task: maintaining a count while doing something else
Delayed recall: retaining information, doing an intercalated task, then recalling

Our downloadable tools

🧠 Working memory games

Fun and progressive activities to engage verbal and visuospatial working memory. Different difficulty levels.

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🔢 Sequences to memorize

Cards with visual sequences of increasing difficulty to memorize and reproduce. Visuospatial sketchpad training.

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💡 Memorization strategies

Illustrated sheets presenting mnemonic techniques adapted for children: grouping, visualization, associations.

Download

📋 Visual routine sequences

Breaking down daily routines into visual steps to offload working memory.

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Frequently asked questions

📌 Can working memory improve with training?

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.

📌 What's the difference between ADHD and working memory deficit?

ADHD often includes a working memory deficit, but they're 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).

📌 How can I help my child daily?

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: better several small tasks than one large complex task.

📌 Is my child forgetting on purpose?

No. A working memory deficit is not a lack of motivation or effort. The child doesn't "deliberately" forget instructions or lose track. It's a real limitation of their cognitive capacity that requires adaptations, not reproaches.