Summer Match Up Fine Motor and Working Memory Activity

10 Tips for Written Expression for Students with Working Memory Deficits

Working memory is used when a student needs to think and remember at the same time.  For written expression, a student has to brainstorm ideas, organize thoughts, plan, construct sentences, remember correct grammar and review the writing format all while remembering what words need to be written on the paper.  Therefore, written expression can be difficult for student with working memory deficits.  Some students may omit words, repeat words, miss errors or forget what was to be written.

Here are some tips for written expression for students with working memory deficits:

1. reduce overall cognitive load by focusing only on the writing assignment with no distractions
2. keep work space well organized
3. make the writing assignment requirements shorter
4. repeat the sentence orally a few times before starting to write the sentence
5. complete a first draft where grammar and spelling can be corrected
6. use abbreviations or symbols in the first draft
7. provide overall feedback on the first draft and the student can revise before handing in the final copy
8. teach the student to create an outline or use a graphic organizer before starting to write
9. when revising check for only one error at a time i.e. step 1: check document for spelling step 2: start over and check document for punctuation step 3: start over and check document for legibility, etc.
10. if working memory deficits are significant the student may need a scribe to help be the writer’s short term storage

Reference:  Kaufman, A. S., & Kaufman, N. L. (2015). Essentials of working memory assessment and intervention. M. J. Dehn (Ed.). John Wiley & Sons.

 

Working Memory Exercises: Working Memory Exercises includes the materials to create 20 memory challenges (the 10 Level 1 exercises are in categories and the 10 Level 2 exercises are not categorized) recording sheets for each category in double lined (Handwriting without Tears® style), dotted lined (Zaner-Bloser® style) or regular lined paper and answer sheets. In addition, both levels come with additional visual cues if the exercises are too difficult. This download is great for classroom use, therapy sessions or to send home with a student. These activities are reproducible to print to use over and over again with all the children that you teach. FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION.

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Exercise and Working Memory in School Children

Pediatric Exercise Science published research examining the role of exercise on the cognitive development in children including working memory (WM) and inattentiveness in a large sample of 2897 schoolchildren (7-10 years old).  Data was collected using the n-back task (2- and 3-back), the attentional network task (ANT) and parent questionnaire with information about the extracurricular exercise of their child and commuting to school.

The results indicated that:

• exercising twice per week or more was associated with higher working memory scores and inattentiveness scores at baseline when compared with exercising only once per week or less.
• active commuting for more than 50 min was associated with better 3-back scores at baseline, as compared with passive commuting.
• no consistent associations were found between physical activity and cognitive growth.

The researchers concluded that children with high levels of physical activity performed better in cognitive tasks.

Reference:  López-Vicente, M. et. al. (2016). Physical Activity and Cognitive Trajectories in Schoolchildren. Pediatric exercise science, 28(3), 431-438.

50 Sensory Motor Activities for Kids – This is an electronic book of 50 sensory motor activities that get children moving. This collection of creative, fun filled activities promote fundamental motor skills, sensory processing, motor planning and body awareness. The book is divided into three sections – Games to Play in Small Spaces (classroom or small room), Games to Play in Large Spaces (gymnasium or outdoors) and Games to Play with Bean Bags. The activities require simple equipment such as bean bags, hoops, rope, balls, etc.  FIND OUT MORE.

 

 

 

 

 

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Visual Spatial and Working Memory Task

To use this free visual spatial and working memory task print out pages 2-4. Cut apart the cards. To practice visual spatial skills, place one card with dots and one blank board in front of the child. The child can use a dot marker, bingo chips or coins to copy the location of the dots on the blank board.

To add in visual memory, the child can study the card with the dots for a certain amount of time. Turn the card over. The child has to remember where to place the dots on the blank board.

There are also blank templates included to create your own patterns to vary the degree of difficulty.

DOWNLOAD the Visual Spatial and Working Memory Task

Here are some additional activities that encourage visual spatial and working memory skills.

Working Memory Exercises includes the materials to create 20 memory challenges (the 10 Level 1 exercises are in categories and the 10 Level 2 exercises are not categorized) recording sheets for each category in double lined (Handwriting without Tears® style), dotted lined (Zaner-Bloser® style) or regular lined paper and answer sheets. In addition, both levels come with additional visual cues if the exercises are too difficult. This download is great for classroom use, therapy sessions or to send home with a student. These activities are reproducible to print to use over and over again with all the children that you teach. FIND OUT MORE.

Mosaic Patterns Practice copying different patterns using various sizes and techniques to encourage different fine motor and visual perceptual skills. Also included is 7 different activity ideas to encourage different fine motor skills.  FIND OUT MORE.

Which Way? includes 16 directional arrow pages (large and small size) plus 6 boards to follow. The activities are available in varying degrees of difficulty. Children will practice moving right, left, diagonally, forwards, backwards, clockwise, down and up. Practice motor planning skills, visually scanning from right to left, understanding prepositional phrases and spatial awareness with this movement activity.  FIND OUT MORE.

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Proprioceptive Training and Working Memory

A pilot study published in Perceptual and Motor Skills examined whether regular classroom instruction, yoga or proprioceptive training improved working memory in individuals 18-59 years old.  The experimental group participated in proprioceptive activities along with one other factor ie locomotion or navigation.  Some of the tasks were climbing trees, walking on a balance beam, carrying awkwardly weighted objects, running barefoot, etc.  The two control groups were regular classroom lectures and static yoga postures.  After two hours, working memory was tested again and the following results were recorded:

• the proprioceptive group increased their working memory by 50%
• neither control group exhibited increases in working memory

The researchers hypothesized that the increase in working memory may have been related to the fact that the proprioceptively dynamic training for the experimental group required various brain functions (thinking while moving).

Reference:  Ross G. Alloway and Tracy Packiam Alloway THE WORKING MEMORY BENEFITS OF PROPRIOCEPTIVELY DEMANDING TRAINING: A PILOT STUDY.  Perceptual and Motor Skills 2015 120:3 , 766-775

Bergland, C. Want to Improve Your Cognitive Abilities? Go Climb a Tree!  Retreived from Psychology Today on 9/1/2015 at https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201507/want-improve-your-cognitive-abilities-go-climb-tree

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Title:  Proprioceptive PoemsBy:  Your Therapy Source

Summary:  Download of electronic book of 2 movement poems with follow along
posters to encourage proprioceptive input.

FIND OUT MORE at http://www.yourtherapysource.com/proprioceptivepoems.html

Working Memory, Fine Motor Skills and Early Numeracy in Cerebral Palsy

Child Neuropsychology published research exploring the relationship between working memory, non-verbal intelligence, linguistic skills, counting, fine motor skills and early numeracy in 56, six year old children with cerebral palsy.   Each child was evaluated for early numeracy performance, working memory, non-verbal intelligence, sentence understanding and fine motor skills. In addition, basic counting performance was assessed.

The results indicated the following:

1.  working memory and fine motor skills were significantly related to the early numeracy performance of the children.

2.  counting was a mediating variable (a variable that explains a relation or provides a causal link between other variables) between working memory and early numeracy

The researchers concluded that working memory for early numeracy performance in children with cerebral palsy is important and warrants further research into intervention programs aimed for working memory training.

Reference:  Van Rooijen M, Verhoeven L, Steenbergen B. Working memory and fine motor skills predict early numeracy performance of children with cerebral palsy. Child Neuropsychol. 2015 Jun 12:1-13. [Epub ahead of print]

Working Memory Exercises – find out more athttp://www.YourTherapySource.com/workingmemory

Challenge Working Memory Skills and Practice Handwriting

Here is a freebie to practice working memory skills.  This freebie is one of the Level 1 exercises.

Working Memory Exercises encourage:

• visual memory skills
• working memory skills
• handwriting practice
• executive function skills

You can download the activity at http://yourtherapysource.com/workingmemoryfreebie.html

You can find out more information about the Working Memory Exercises Level 1 and Level 2 at  http://yourtherapysource.com/workingmemory.html