Empower Learners by
Improving Memory
Raven Stromek, MA
DHH Behavior Coach
and Reading Specialist
Illinois Service Resource Center
www.isrc.us
DeafEduc8or@comcast.net
Illinois Service Resource Center
A Service and Resource Center of the Illinois State Board of Education
Supporting deaf/hard of hearing student behavioral needs
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Schools/ Educators
Individual student
observations
Data collection support
DHH Behavior Team training
and support
School-wide positive behavior
support
Online training modules
Mentoring
www.isrc.us
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Parents/ Families
Individual student home
visits for behavior support
Library – materials mailed
with return postage
Speakers for parent support
groups
Locate needed resources
Parent Facilitators
Newsletter
800-550-4772
Illinois Service Resource Center
A Service and Resource Center of the Illinois State Board of Education
Supporting deaf/hard of hearing student behavioral needs
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Students
Deaf Student Network
Leadership Day
Deaf Can Do It Day
Deaf Teen Saturday in the City
How I Advocate For Others Essay Contest
www.isrc.us
800-550-4772
To accomplish today:
 Gain insight into Harley Hamilton’s
research about memory abilities
of deaf learners.
 Understand four specific areas
of memory difficulty in deaf
learners.
 Make connections between the
areas of memory difficulty and
common academic demands.
 Explore fun, engaging, and
interactive ways to improve
memory skills in deaf learners.
THE RESEARCH
HARLEY HAMILTON
http://www.cats.gatech.edu/cats/articles/Hamilton%202011-%20WM%20skills.pdf
WM and STM
Working Memory
• Actively processes
information
• How much info the students
can “use”
Short Term Memory
• Passively holds
information
• How long students can
“hold” the info
Working memory and short term memory
predict academic success in:
Reading
Language Comprehension
Mathematics
Science
Deaf specific strengths and needs
Weaknesses
• Sequential recall
• Processing speed
• Attention
• Memory load
Strengths
• Free recall
• Visuospatial recall
• Imagery
• Dual encoding
Can be strengths when used:
• Phonological encoding
• Rehearsal
AREAS OF WEAKNESS
Sequential Memory
• Recall a list in the same order it was presented
– Digits
– Printed words
– Pictures
– ASL signs
– Fingerspelling
Processing Speed
• How quickly students can perform a task
– Oral and written language
– Math abilities
– Word recognition…thus, fluency & comprehension
– Language development and processing
– Strong native language base
Attention
• Focus on one stimuli
– DoD: 14.1% ADHD; DoH: 38.7% ADHD
– Deaf better at peripheral than hearing
– Directing and sustaining attention is difficult
• Deaf attend to signing peers in class discussion 30%
• Deaf attend to signing teacher 44%, 1:1 attention 50%
Memory Load
• How difficult a task is – cognitive complexity
• Harder the task = decrease in performance
• Hearing example
– 8 word sentence harder than 3 word sentence
– 8 word tongue twister harder than simple control
• Deaf example
– Cherological: sign-based formational features
– Comprehension down for formationally similar
– I ate apples at home yesterday…ATE APPLES HOME
YESTERDAY
– Memory load increase problematic for Deaf sooner
than hearing
AREAS OF STRENGTH
Free recall
• Recalling a list, any order
• Equivalent recall for:
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printed words
ASL/spoken words
Line drawings
Sequentially presented
shapes
• Helpful for names of
states, parts of body, etc.
Visuospatial Recall
• Objects presented in visual array
– Blocks on a table, objects in a grid
• Superior to hearing:
– Recall info presented in static
format for linguistic and nonlinguistic
– Touch blocks in same order random
or straight arrangements
– Everyday objects on a grid
Visuospatial Recall cont’d.
• Same/similar as hearing
– Simon game
– Recall series of geometric shapes
(draw) - simple or complex
– Line of shapes all at once
(But not shapes presented
one at a time that disappear
before next is shown)
Imagery
• Make, sustain, and manipulate visual image
• Enhanced over hearing:
– Imagery: creating a picture in his/her head
– Mental rotation
Dual Encoding
• Use both sign and speech (SimCom)
• Better than hearing:
– List of words
• Problem is skill level of SimCom users
Memory strengths if strategy
is taught and used • Phonological encoding (speech based)
• Speech reading, articulatory gesture (cue, VP) =
phonological signal in brain
• Some deaf develop/use, some not
• Less likely than hearing to use for
phonological encoding, reading, spelling
• When used helps:
– sequential recall
– reading comp
Memory strengths if strategy
is taught and used • Rehearsal: Overt or covert repetition of items
to remember
• Deaf need overt to show
benefit:
– Printed words
– Images
– Signed phrases
• Deaf do not naturally use as early as hearing
– D 10 yrs. H 7-8 yrs.
IMPLICATIONS
Implications
• All related to skills needed to comprehend and
learn language
• Attention: acquire language in environment
• Processing speed: encode and manipulate
• Memory load: stressed from lack of
automatization reduces processing speed
• Sequential linguistic info needed for cognition
Implications
• Strengths can be
used to improve
instruction for DHH
students
• Can be used to
improve deficiencies
• Need specific
strategy instruction
Early Childhood through age 15 yield best results
INTERVENTIONS AND STRATEGIES
Early Childhood
• Early exposure to fluent language
models
– Slow, clear, short sentences
– Videos, videogames
• Rehearsal
– Nursery rhymes,
songs, chants, actions
• Household tasks –
– routines, sequencing,
simple directions,
• ASL mechanism of referencing items
on a list
• Free recall
– items on shopping list
• Watch signed sentence, sequence pictures to
depict meaning
• Formationally similar signs increase memory
load, dissimilar decrease difficulty
• Print, static stimuli
• Sequencing and retelling stories
• Imagery and comprehension – generate a
sentence, draw it, switch out nouns, repeat
• Automaticity – drill vocabulary
– PPT on set timer, white board and cover/erase
• Processing speed – captioning
• Online dictionaries – SMARTSign-Dictionary,
google images
• Phonological development – speechreading,
articulation practice, [cued speech?]…w/print
• Build automatized schemas
• Low error exposure through scaffolding
• Simple Sentence Lab
– www.cats.gatech.edu/cats/CatSoft/SSL.htm
– Sequential memory, sentence production,
spelling, chunking English phrases, rehearsal, and
schema building for written English
• Visual images with rehearsal
• Rehearsal
• Chunking
– Fairview method: “look up”, “jump over”, “get on”
• SimCom for word lists
• Visual imagery
• Displays for reference
[Visual Information Plan]
• Static sequential visuospatial presentation
 2+4=6
• Fact tables
• Drill for automaticity to increase processing
speed and attention – white board, PPT, paper
• Dictating problems
• Mental math
• ASL feature of referring to objects in a place
• Calculators
• Free recall
– Labeling: states, body parts
– Categorizing: habitat, culture, states
of matter
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Rehearsal and repetition
Variety of practice materials
Flowcharts, boxes, diagrams
Thinking maps or graphic organizers
– www.free-mind.en.softonic.com
– www.xmind.net
General Attention
• Peripheral information is
STRONG with deaf
– Problematic for
attending/language learning
– Intervention:
• Stand near screen with predictable
movement
• Short, simple directions…then build
• Teach and practice sustained
attention
– With and without distractions
Memory Load
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Simple, structured, redundant language
Eliminate multitasking
Repeated exposure to new material
Processing and rehearsal time
Apply memory strategies
Repetition
External supports – visuals, checklists, prompts
Scaffolding and errorless learning, minimize
failure
• ASL
Working Memory
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Brief
Focus on one strategy - well spaced
Practice strategies
Connect success to strategies
Allow students to “overlearn”
Positive Reinforcement
Teach when and how – metacognition
Strategy instruction needs to be
aligned with student needs and
growth
Neurologist Recommended
• Destress - enjoyable rituals
• Grab attention - "advertising" or
giving hints
• Color - colored pens color code
notes or words
• Novelty - funny hat, put a scarf on
the dog
• Personal meaning - interests
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/radical-teaching/200904/top-10-list-improve-your-childs-memory
Neurologist cont’d.
• Relational memories - connects with
experiences
• Patterning - Charts, mnemonics,
same/different
• Mental manipulation - do something with it
Practice makes permanent - Review material
using multiple sensory activities
• “Syn-naps” = brain-breaks (depleted after as
little as ten minutes)
General Strategies
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Get the details
“I’m going on a picnic and I’m bringing…”
Routines/steps – daily, recipes, chores
Practice remembering
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Visualization … silly image of what or where
Chaining … story of a list
Chunking … phone or CC numbers in set of 3 or 4
Acrostics … My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us
Nine Pizzas
General cont’d.
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Music, rhythm, chant
Illustrations, pictures, mind maps
Develop interest
Study most important to
remember first
• Teach someone else
Web resources
• http://staff.washington.edu/chudler/chmemory.h
tml
• Short Term Memory Test.
• Short Term Memory Picture Game
• Play SIMON SAYS Game 1
• Play SIMON SAYS Game 2
• Face Memory Test - Version 1
• Face Memory Test - Version 2
• http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/memo
ry_games/memory_games_simon.html
• http://www.brainmetrix.com/color-game/
• http://www.exploratorium.edu/listen/activitie
s/memory_game/deploy/activity_memoryga
me.php
FUN STRATEGIES
Percussion
• Tools and resources:
– ISRC Drum Kit
– Developmental Community Music (DCM)
– Together in Rhythm: A Facilitator’s Guide to Drum Circle Music
(Book & DVD)--Kalani (Aug 1, 2004)
– Body Percussion
– Make your own: rain sticks, shakers, drums
• http://www.pinterest.com/ravenstromek/make-your-own-percussion/
• Follow the Leader – Leader makes up a pattern of four
beats and others repeat back. Gradually increase number
of beats to remember.
• Pass the Percussion – First person does a pattern of three
beats. The next person does that pattern and adds on.
Continue.
Percussion cont’d.
• Generate a pattern using graphics (circle, square,
triangle) that represent musical movements. Students
perform the piece using the graphics; slowly remove
the visual support to increase reliance on memory.
• Students stand/sit facing each other…one person
creates a rhythm and the other repeats the rhythm and
then creates a rhythm of his/her own that their partner
must then repeat and create a new rhythm of his/her
own – repeat.
Now You See It, Now You Don't
• Tray or a large plate. (cookie sheet, cafeteria tray).
• Put 10 to 20 objects on the tray, and cover.
• Explain: objects on the tray, want them to
remember as many as possible, one minute.
• Use a timer.
• Cover, Write down all they can remember.
• Could they remember all of the items? Are there any
items that were forgotten by all the students?
• Teach some of the memory techniques and repeat the
experiment.
What's Missing
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Variation of the previous experiment to test short term memory.
Get your tray and items and cloth ready again.
This time have you students view the items for 1 minute.
Then cover the tray again.
Without the students seeing, REMOVE 1 item from the tray. Show
the tray and remaining items to your students again. Ask them,
"What is missing?". Can they guess what you removed?
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Further variations:
more time/less time to view
More/less objects on the tray.
Try it with fewer objects, identify the missing object by feel
Try it again, but this time remove 3-4 objects.
Who’s Missing
Have one student leave the room.
While this student is out of the room, have
another student hide. Then bring the first
student back into the room. Can this student
name the student who is missing?
Classroom Mix-up
• Tell everyone to take a good look
around the classroom to remember
where objects are located in the room.
• Send a few students out of the room
while you change the location of
various objects in the class.
• Make sure YOU keep a list of all the
things that you have changed!
• When the students come back into the
classroom, ask them to write down or
take turns telling all of the things that
have changed.
Everyday Memory
• Go to the Exploratorium to see if you
remember what this common everyday object
really looks like. What can it be? What can it
be?
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This experiment is based on a study by Nickerson, R.S. and Adams, M.J. titled "Long-term
memory for a common object," Cognitive Psychology, 11:297-307, 1979.
Eye Witness
• Plan to have someone (a teacher or a student) come into your class. Let's
call this person, "X". X should plan on doing several things in class such as:
• Change the time on the clock
• Take a book and put it in a bag
• Erase the chalkboard
• Close a window
• Talk to someone
• Before X comes into the room, have all of the students working or reading
at their desks. When X comes into the room, most of the students will be
curious about what he or she is doing. After X leaves the room, have the
students write down or tell all the things that happened.
• What details do they recall? What did X wear? How long was X in the
room? What book did X take? Who did X talk to? What did X say? You may
even ask some leading questions to influence memory. For example, if X
was not wearing a hat, ask, "What color hat was X wearing?". Compare
how everyone's memory was the same and different.
False Memories
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Sometimes your brain makes up its own memories. Try to "implant" a memory
by asking people to remember the words on list 1. Wait about five minutes,
then probe their memory by asking them which words on list 2 they
remember.
List 1: read, pages, letters, school, study, reading, stories, sheets, cover, pen,
pencil, magazine, paper, words
List 2: house, pencil, apple, shoe, book, flag, rock, train, ocean, hill, music,
water, glass, school
Did they say that "book" was on list 1? Only pencil and school were on list 1.
Try these words:
List 1: sheets, pillow, mattress, blanket, comfortable, room, dream, lay, chair,
rest, tired, night, dark, time
List 2: door, tree, eye, song, pillow, juice, orange, radio, rain, car, sleep, cat,
dream, eat
Did they say that "sleep" was on list 1? Only pillow and dream were on list 1.
Make up your own lists and see if you can create a false memory.
Concentration
• Traditional: Deck of any cards or matching sets
of pictures/shapes/letters/etc laid in a grid.
Match.
• PLAY BRAIN CONCENTRATION
• PLAY SENSORY CONCENTRATION
Memory
• Click the link to see 25 different objects. Look
at them for 30 seconds, then click on the
"Back" button to return to this page. Write
down all the objects that you can remember.
• Here are the 25 objects.
A-maze-ing
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[Maze 1 - easy]
[Maze 2 - harder]
[Maze 3 - hardest]
(Click on the maze, then "save" the big maze or just print it
out). [Or use other mazes you have.]
Get at least 3 copies of each maze.
Time it takes you to complete the maze...from "START" to
"FINISH"
Record the amount of time it takes you.
Then, do the SAME maze over again on a new copy.
Record the amount of time it takes you to complete it.
Then do it a third time and even a fourth time if you want.
iPad Games
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Flow Free
Just Find It
My First Games: Spot the Difference
Labyrinth 2 HD Lite
TanZen HD Lite
My First Puzzles
Crazy Copy Games HD Free Lite
Air Hockey Gold
(Mazes – but any good ones are $$)
Search “memory”
Board Games and Puzzles
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Tribond
Memory
Concentration
Sequence
Uno
Blink
Battleship
Connect 4
Checkers (chess)
Brick by Brick
Mind Trap
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Dot to Dot
Mazes
Word search
Sudoku
Crossword
Word Search
Jig saw puzzles
• Think Fun Games: Visual
Brain Storms, Rush Hour,
Swish, Roll and Play,
Amaze, Distraction
References
• http://www.parents.com/toddlerspreschoolers/development/intellectual/enhancechilds-memory/
• http://www.parents.com/kids/development/intel
lectual/improve-kids-memory-skills/
• http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicD
etailsKids.aspx?p=335&np=152&id=2431
• http://www.oxfordlearning.com/2006/05/16/10ways-to-build-your-childs-memory/
• https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/chmemo
ry.html
Raven Stromek
DHH Behavior Coach
and Reading Specialist
Illinois Service Resource Center
www.isrc.us
DeafEduc8or@comcast.net