Why Johnny Can’t
Remember What
He Reads
With Jay Kelly, MA
Hosted by:
Have You Ever Seen Students
...?
 Forget Information They Knew the Day
Before
 Miss the Main Idea But Remember Random
Details
 Fail to Connect New Knowledge to Existing
Frameworks
 Learn Something in One Context But Fail to
Apply That Knowledge in Similar Contexts
How Exactly Do We
Remember Things?
 The Role of Short Term
Memory
 The Role of Long Term
Memory
 Moving Short Term
Inputs to Long Term
Storage
How Working Memory Works
 Filters
 Prioritizes
 Categorizes
 Connects New Inputs to
Prior Knowledge
When Working Memory
Breaks Down
 Storage and Retrieval Quality Is Based on
Working Memory Strength
 Students with Processing Disorders Almost
Always Have Working Memory Deficits
 Younger Students Are Still Developing These
Capacities
How to Address Working Memory
Deficiencies
 Teach Explicitly
 Draw Logical Lines
 Resist Assuming Prior
Knowledge
 Think Out Loud
How to Address Working Memory
Deficiencies
 Teach Explicitly
 Bundle Modalities
 One Concept/Skill at a
Time
 As Many Senses as
Possible
 As Close in Time as
Possible
How to Address Working Memory
Deficiencies
 Teach Explicitly
 Bundle Modalities
 Create Feedback Loops
 ‘What did you learn?’
 ‘What was
challenging?’
 ‘What did I ask you to
do?’
How to Address Working Memory
Deficiencies
 Teach Explicitly
 Bundle Modalities
 Create Feedback Loops
 Promote Peer to Peer
Coaching
 Forces use of working
memory
 Provides a context for
working memory
evaluation
How to Address Working Memory
Deficiencies
 Teach Explicitly
 Bundle Modalities
 Create Feedback Loops
 Promote Peer to Peer
Coaching
 Teach Concisely
 Confusion caused by
saying too much
 Confusion caused by
saying too little
Questions for
Reflection and Action
 What 1-2 things most stood out to me?
 What are 1-2 lingering questions I have?
 What is 1 thing I already do to promote
working memory function?
 What are 2-3 things I can start doing to
address working memory deficits?
Suggested Resources

Building the Reading Brain by Nevills and
Wolfe

Build the Brain for Reading by Pamela Nevills

The New Executive Brain by Elkhonon
Goldberg

Brain Matters: Translating Research into
Classroom Practice by Patricia Wolfe

Teaching Students with Dyslexia and
Dysgraphia by Berninger and Wolf

The Overflowing Brain by Torkel Klingberg
 Efficiency in Learning by Clark, Nguyen and
Sweller

Teaching with the Brain in Mind by Eric
Jensen

The Secret Life of the Grownup Brain by
Barbara Strauch
12
Questions?
Email
Jay Kelly: jaymichaelkelly@gmail.com
Reading Horizons: info@readinghorizons.com