Proven Exercises to Improve Working
Memory
Carol Brown MA
Academic Success Center of Kentucky
www.academicsuccesscenterky.com
859-613-2290
"With nothing more than a few clicks, we can pull up just about any
information we need. But the key to intelligence today is being able to put
those facts together, prioritize the information, and do something
constructive with it. There is one skill that gives you the advantage of
managing all this information: working memory. IQ is what you know.
Working memory is what you can do with what you know."
Tracy and Ross Alloway " The Working Memory Advantage: Train
Your Brain to Function Stronger, Smarter, Faster"
Input: The child’s ability to take in new information.
Elaboration: The child’s ability to take the new information, organize
it, and determine what is relevant.
Output: The child’s ability to express his or her thoughts about the
information in an organized manner.
Processing Speed
Perform cognitive tasks, particularly when measured under pressure to
maintain focused attention.
Working Memory
Hold information in immediate awareness while performing a mental
operation on it. Age 5-6 two steps 7-9 three steps 10-12 four steps 13-15
five steps
16-30 six steps 40 five steps
Proven Exercises to Improve Working
Memory
Carol Brown MA
Academic Success Center of Kentucky
www.academicsuccesscenterky.com
859-613-2290
Fall
Reading 161
Math
171
Language 158
Science
Concepts 161
Science
168
MAP SCORES 2011 and 2012
2011 Winter 2011 Spring 2012 Gains
181
189
+28
182
207
+36
175
181
+23
185
184
* Rose was a 4th grade student with Down syndrome who had 45 hours of cognitive
development training. We met for 1 hour a day, 5 days a week for 9 weeks between the
Fall and Winter scores. She continued for another 3 weeks and then continued doing
exercises at home. Additional testing at the University of Louisville Dept. of
Psychological and Brain Sciences showed statistically significant gains in working
memory and processing. The Academic Success Center Workbook is being used in a
research study with U of L and students with Down syndrome.
Processing, Memory, and Attention Exercises
Materials needed: deck of cards, Blink, Qwitch
*Alternate cards saying number, color, shape (suit)
*4,5,6 cards, turn over, recall, move 2, recall, move 3
*Speedy - 2 piles, match card, + 1, or -1
*Alternate saying what they see ( equal) and +1 then add -1
* “Blink” match number and shape (suit)
Proven Exercises to Improve Working
Memory
Carol Brown MA
Academic Success Center of Kentucky
www.academicsuccesscenterky.com
859-613-2290
*Say card after red card, then add cards called
*Play tic tac toe with 1-9 cards do in your mind
*Make a list of animals, sports teams… in 1 minute
* “I See You” exercises and daily use.
 Ten Categories of Being: Thank You Aristotle:
what/who, action, place, quantity, quality, relation,
feelings, clothing, position, and time Picturing these
categories is essential for comprehension and begin by
looking at a single picture.
Number Hunt and Number Fluency
A B C
D
E F
8
2
9
8
2
2
1
7
6
8
6
5
8
5
7
5
9
1
3
7
9
4
5
1
5
7
3
6
4
6
G H
2
8
4
1
9
4
7
3
7
1
I
J
1
6
2
2
3
3
4
3
9
4
Proven Exercises to Improve Working
Memory
Carol Brown MA
Academic Success Center of Kentucky
www.academicsuccesscenterky.com
859-613-2290
7
2
5
2
3
3
5
4
7
6
8
4
2
5
8
4
5
1
4
9
5
8
9
1
2
9
3
8
9
5
2
1
9
3
4
6
6
7
8
2
9
7
3
6
1
1
9
6
8
7
Place a page protector over the page and use a dry erase marker. Hunt: Add one item at a time
and each additional when there is mastery. Always say:”I see you” and have them repeat what
they see themselves doing. First, circle the 1s, X the 2s, box the 3s, underline the 4s, put a line
above the 5s, backslash / the 6s, parenthesis on left of (7s, parenthesis on both sides of (8), and
draw a line across the center of the 9s. Students should ALWAYS track from left to right and mark
as they come to it. Do NOT go in and find all the 1s, and then all the 2s. Next, remove the page
protector and read the symbol/number. II. On each line one number occurs twice. Have the
students find the matching numbers.
Fluency: I. Read the numbers from left to right on beat with a metronome and without it.
II. Read the numbers from left to right and add +1 to each number. III. Read the numbers from
left to right and say the correct number and then +1 on the alternate number. *** Do the same
steps but read down the columns. Then read column A and B alternating back and forth, then
read A and J, and then read D and F. You can have them add +1 to each and the subtract -1 to
each. Have them say the correct number, and then +1 and then -1 alternating for the entire page.
You can also alternate adding or multiplying numbers as well. Copyright 2012 Carol T. Brown
Proven Exercises to Improve Working
Memory
Carol Brown MA
Academic Success Center of Kentucky
www.academicsuccesscenterky.com
859-613-2290
Notes:
Proven Exercises to Improve Working
Memory
Carol Brown MA
Academic Success Center of Kentucky
www.academicsuccesscenterky.com
859-613-2290