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100 Powerful Learning Specialist and Educational Therapy Materials

This week I wanted to tell you about my online store, Good Sensory Learning. I’m Dr. Erica Warren, and I established this site so I could share all the materials that I have created over the last 20+ years as a learning specialist and educational therapist. When I first began my private practice, Learning to Learn, I had great difficulty finding fun and multisensory materials for my students that were effective and engaging. So back in 2005, I made it my mission to design and distribute high-end, remedial products as well as memorable, motivating lessons that bring delight to learning. If you would like to try a free sampling of my activities , CLICK HERE . How Are the Products Organized at Good Sensory Learning? You can download my Free Printable Catalog or you can browse the site using the grey “search all products” bar in the top right of any page with keywords such as dyslexia, working memory, and executive functioning. What’s more, drop down menus in the red banner allow you t...
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How to Improve Working Memory in Struggling Students

Did you know that a strong working memory is one of the best indicators of academic success?  In contrast, those that struggle with a weak working memory often find learning, accessing prior knowledge, and solving problems in their mind challenging. So what is working memory all about?

What is Working Memory?

Working memory is like a mental sketchpad and guiding voice that allows us to solve problems in our heads. It's a complex cognitive process that involves a number of skills that need to work in concert.  As illustrated in the image below, sensory inputs (represented by colorful leaves) flow into our perception.  Then, our central executive (illustrated as a conductor of cognitive skills) manages four aspects of cognition: 
  1. Attention (presented as the sun),
  2. Inner voice or inner dialog (seen as the ear)
  3. Inner eye or mental visualizations (depicted as an eye)
  4. Long term memory or prior knowledge (presented as the soil under the grass) 
These four cognitive processing and storage areas then communicate and share information so that sensory information is processed and problems presented by the world around us can be solved.  

How Can Working Memory Be Strengthened?

There are a number of ways to teach students to strengthen their working memory skills:
  1. Teachers and parents can think aloud.  By sharing how one uses their inner voice and visualization skills, students can learn how to use their internal dialogue and mental imagery to solve problems. 
  2. Talk about visualization/imagination as well as the inner voice and explain what it is to students and how they can use it to learn.  If you would like to learn about my activity cards that offer discussion topics, CLICK HERE.
  3. Help to strengthen students' visualization skills with assessments, games, and activities.  If you would like to learn more about this, check out my digital download: Teaching Visualization for Learning Bundle.
  4. Do fun activities and games that strengthen working memory. CLICK HERE to view some options.
Click on the image below to view all the products at Good Sensory Learning that can exercise working memory.
series of working memory games


Clearly, working memory is a vital cognitive processing skill that should be exercised and developed for students of all ages. 

Come view my 3-minute video on working memory!




How Can I Learn More About Helping Students with Working Memory Weaknesses?

Dr. Erica Warren will be offering a live Zoom workshop on Working Memory on Sunday, November 22nd, 2020 at 10:00AM Eastern Standard Time.  It covers the definition of working memory, a break down of the cognitive processing functions, and strategies for success. You will also receive a special promotion from Good Sensory Learning.
To attend my workshop, you can sign up here: https://tixoom.app/drericawarren/tnwbnxtn 
Once the workshop is over you will be able to access an edited version here:  https://goodsensorylearning.com/collections/dr-erica-warren-courses 

Cheers, Dr. Erica Warren

Dr. Erica Warren is the author, illustrator, and publisher of multisensory educational materials at Good Sensory Learning. She is also the director of Learning to Learn and Learning Specialist Courses.

2020 Erica Warren LLC. All rights reserved. Dr. Warren does not provide medical advice or diagnoses.

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Location: Putnam Valley, NY, USA

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