W2: Working Memory:  Assessment, Intervention, and Classroom Applications

Symposium Chair:  Michele Berg, Ph.D., Director, Center for Learning Disorders,
Family Service and Guidance Center

Working memory is a complex system that allows us to temporarily store, maintain, and mentally work with information while we are engaged in ongoing cognitive tasks.   Working memory is critical to learning, and weaknesses in working memory can have a significant impact on academic functioning.  The speakers in this symposium will expand upon the exploration of this topic initiated in last year’s working memory symposium.

Welcome and a Brief Introduction to the Concept of Working Memory
Michele Berg, Ph.D., Director, Center for Learning Disorders
Dr. Berg will provide an overview of the concept of working memory, the components of working memory, and the relationship of working memory to other memory systems and to learning.

Working Memory and ADHD: The Other Side of the Coin? 
Donna Turner-Campbell, Ph.D., Executive Director of Stepwise: Therapies for Learning
Working memory deficits are a common core symptom in individuals with ADHD.  Dr. Turner-Campbell will discuss important research findings regarding the relationship between working memory, the features of ADHD, and the behavioral characteristics of students diagnosed with ADHD.  

Working Memory and Mathematical Learning Difficulties
Daniel B. Berch, Ph.D., Professor of Educational Psychology and Applied Developmental Science at the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education; Author 
Dr. Berch will detail the contributions of working memory limitations to mathematical learning difficulties, describe differences in the working memory demands across math tasks, and share some of the most promising strategies to improve students’ mathematical learning and performance.

The Smooth Operation of Reading and Written Language: The Complex Role of Memory Processes   
Dr. Donna Turner-Campbell, Ph.D.
Dr. Turner-Campbell will outline the complex interplay between multiple levels of language and multiple memory systems in the development of fluent reading and written language skills.  Reading and written language deficits linked to weaknesses in working memory will be discussed, and strategies to address these deficits will be presented.    

Assessment Strategies for Identification of Specific Working Memory Deficits:  
Milton Dehn, Ed.D., NCSP, Program Director for Schoolhouse Tutoring; Author
Dr. Dehn will introduce an assessment model that considers possible deficits in any of the five working memory components. Includes details on: how to conduct informal assessment; how to create measures to use during intervention; and how to use a selective testing approach during standardized testing. The emphasis will be on understanding and interpreting the data from brain-based perspective.

Evidenced-based Instruction, Strategies, and Exercises that Improve Working Memory Functioning: 
Milton Dehn, Ed.D, NCSP 
This session will include: classroom instruction and strategies that reduce the load on working memory; evidence-based interventions; effective internet-based training; and a review of recent neurological studies connecting intensive working memory training with structural changes in the brain.