Working memory programme

Teachers can first introduce these concepts in schools and then work alongside parents and Teachers of the Deaf to continue developing these skills at home.

This programme is for deaf pupils aged 5 to 11.

This programme was first developed by the University of Oxford. It was funded by the National Deaf Children’s Society and Action on Hearing Loss and supported by the British Association of Teachers of the Deaf.

What is working memory?

Working memory is our ability to hold on to information while doing something with it at the same time. It helps us carry out tasks like remembering instructions or doing mental maths.

For example, a child might use their working memory to add two numbers they’ve just heard – without writing anything down. Or they might need it to remember a sentence while they’re still in the process of writing it.

Working memory is especially important in the classroom. Children use it every day to follow instructions, take part in lessons, and complete tasks. It supports a child's progress in literacy and numeracy.

There are two aspects of working memory:

• Automatic attention – Taking in information automatically or unintentionally.
• Controlled attention – Taking in information through focus and effort.

Both aspects are important for learning, but many deaf children can find these areas challenging.

How the programme can help

This set of activities is designed to help deaf children improve their working memory. It includes exercises that develop both automatic and controlled attention, helping children learn how to use them together more effectively.

Research by the University of Oxford found that deaf pupils using these materials achieved more on working memory measures when compared with a group of children of the same age and intellectual skills who did not use the materials.

Teaching instructions

The working memory programme includes 3 teacher-led games which focus on developing controlled attention through rehearsal and recall.

The programme used to contain web-based games meant to build automatic attention, but these have since been removed by the University of Oxford.

The programme is designed to be flexible and individualised, allowing each child to progress at their own pace.

How to structure each session

• For each session, use a mixture of two teacher-led games (Words, Colours or Digits). If using the Words game, start with this as it's very demanding.
• If the child doesn’t meet the goal (4 correct trials out of 9), let them try again at the same level.
• If the child misses the goal twice in a row, move on to another teacher-led game.
• Use the record sheet to keep track of progress.

When you start a new session, begin at the level the child did not master in the previous session.

When working through teacher-led games, if progress slows, and the child has already tried the alternative level (for example, 3b), switch to the Colours Game for a fresh context. When progress in Colours levels off, move on to the Digits Game.

Timescale and session length

Aim for a total of 20 minutes per week over a minimum of 12 weeks.

If a child progresses slowly, sessions may be shorter. It’s fine to break up the hour into multiple shorter sessions across the week.

Games

• Words recall game
• Colours recall game
• Digits recall game