Processing Speed and Working Memory Skills Growth for Kids
It’s super important to improve the cognitive foundation of your child’s brain if your child is going to function well in school. Processing speed and Working Memory are critical for learning to read, spell, write, and do math. When a child has a deficit in Processing speed and/or Working Memory, it often shows up as learning struggles in the classroom.
The GREAT News is that You CAN improve your child’s attention, executive functioning, processing speed, and working memory. It requires awareness of your child’s needs, but there are great options for working with your child. This page will provide an overview of steps you can take to improve your child’s cognitive skills deficits, and some FUN solutions!
Processing Speed and Working Memory Training can help your child overcome cognitive issues at home.
Research shows cognitive enhancement programs improve a child’s processing speed, attention, working memory, etc. Helping your child at home brings good results because:
1) At home, your child can take adequate time to process information and think at their own processing speed. Working with your child at home can eliminate interference with the memory storage process. It generally takes longer in a child with learning disabilities.
2) You can implement Brain-Based Learning, Remediation, and Cognitive Enhancement programs designed to help kids with learning disabilities. They can help your child overcome some of their difficulties with attention, short-term memory, processing speed, planning, sequencing, and self-monitoring.
Diagnoses that often accompany cognitive function difficulties are ADHD, ADD, Dyslexia, and Executive Dysfunction (or executive functioning disorder). While these disabilities are more pervasive on a child’s ability to function, there are brain training programs that help a child improve functioning in attention, memory, speed, organization skills, planning, sequencing, etc.
The brain-based processing and working memory training programs are usually intense. But they also provide noticeable results. Some programs are therapy-based and require professional administration. Others can be used at home.
Cognitive Enhancement Programs:
The listing of these programs is not an endorsement for them, and they appear in no particular order. The programs below may or may not meet your child’s needs, so please research your options before picking the best program for your child.
Brain Games for Kids Fun Mind Games for Kids
**Brain Games for Kids Fun Mind Games for Kids – MentalUP’s Fun Online Mind Games for Kids help your child improve their learning and cognitive skills. Helps with Memory, Focus, Concentration, Study Skills, Creativity.
BrainBuilder from Advanced Brain
**BrainBuilder from Advanced Brain – Increases auditory and visual sequential processing capacities. This helps increase the number of pieces of information your chil can sequentially receive, hold, process, use and recall in short-term working memory without straining or using mental “tricks.” As the pathways of the brain’s neural network proliferate and deepen, so does the ability to absorb and process information more quickly and easily. The minimum recommended age is 7, and there is a free trial available on the website. This is a “monthly fee” site.
Brainware Safari
**Brainware Safari – This site is specifically for children, and kids with learning disabilities. They will find this cognitive enhancement program among the most enjoyable of programs. Brainware Safari works in 41 Cognitive Skills across 6 cognitive areas. These include attention, memory, reasoning, visual processing, sensory integration, and auditory processing. While BrainBuilder (above) is more appropriate for pre-teens and teens, Brainware Safari is a clear winner for younger children. However, it can appeal to kids of any age.
Lexia Learning’s CrossTrainer
**Lexia Learning’s CrossTrainer – “The Lexia Cross-Trainer Suite improves cognitive development in learners ages 7 to adult. This software helps learning disabled, special needs, and mainstream students strengthen their thinking, memory, and problem-solving abilities. It improves performance across subjects as varied as reading, math, science, and social studies.”
Edublox Tutor (formerly Audiblox)
**Edublox Tutor (formerly Audiblox) – This program is now offered online. It helps with many Executive Function issues. Their blurb says:
“Groundbreaking Reading, Math & Learning Interventions. Turn dyslexia, dyscalculia & learning difficulties around. Home- and school-based products and live online tutoring where students engage in development exercises and programs that have been expertly designed to overcome learning barriers. Book a free consultation.”
LearningRx
**LearningRx (Processing and Cognitive Enhancement) – The LearningRx is a program provided through a tutor-provider relationship. It is expensive, but comes highly recommended.
Brain Gym
**Brain Gym – Simple program to use at home; enhances learning. “Brain Gym is a program of physical movements that enhance learning and performance in ALL areas. Brain Gym includes 26 easy and enjoyable targeted activities that integrate body and mind to bring about rapid and often dramatic improvements in: concentration, memory, reading, writing, organizing, listening, physical coordination, and more.”
Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization
One means of developing your child’s memory skills is the Institute for Excellence in Writing’s “Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization.” – This program appears to be fabulous for children with learning difficulties in many ways. The memory work will help strengthen memory and recall skills for children with memory deficits. The only way to strengthen memory skills is to practice them! The recitation component will also help children with speech articulation difficulties.
The main premise behind this program is to give children a ready source for varied and sophisticated usage of language skills in writing. If a child has word usage committed to memory, he can use that information when writing his own original works. Given the program’s format, you’ll find you can substitute any works of poetry in a similar process of memorization and recitation. Whether using your own poems, or those provided with the program, “Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization” seems like a great way to practice and improve memorization and recall.
Here are direct links to the Program materials:
Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization [Teacher’s Manual & CDs]
Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization [Student Book only]
Interactive Metronome
One of the most widely used programs that includes working memory training is **Interactive Metronome. It’s a professionally provided, therapy based program. The IM program provides a structured, goal-oriented process that challenges the patient to synchronize a range of hand and foot exercises to a precise computer-generated reference tone heard through headphones. The patient attempts to match the rhythmic beat with repetitive motor actions.
Over the course of the treatment, patients learn to: focus and attend for longer periods of time, increase physical endurance and stamina, filter out internal and external distractions, improve ability to monitor mental and physical actions as they are occurring, and progressively improve performance.” This program is administered by an IM provider with training.
Dance Mats and Dancepads ~ A FAVORITE Comprehensive Skill Builder for Kids
A fun program you can use at home for working memory training is **Dance Mats and Dancepads. It’s one of the most FUN means of helping a child with concentration and timing. These are actually ‘games’, but they involve many of the same elements as other brain-based programs including concentration, planning, sequencing, timing, speed, etc.
Parents have begun using these dance games Dance pads and Dance mats in a variety of versions, and there are many options available. Dance pad games are “played” with a dance pad that registers footwork by the player. It helps with concentration and timing, much like Interactive Metronome, because the play must take the dance steps in the specified order within a short timeframe. If the step is too early or too late, it doesn’t count.
The games have different speeds of play if they have that feature built-in, allowing a child to start out slowly and work progressively towards speed. This is a great concentration & timing game, and just like Interactive Metronome, children learn to: “focus and attend for longer periods of time, increase physical endurance and stamina, filter out internal and external distractions, improve ability to monitor mental and physical actions as they are occurring, and progressively improve performance.”
Additionally, a dance pad allows an ADHD child to burn extra energy which also enhances concentration. In this way, it’s like Brain Gym exercises, but a lot more FUN!!
Cognitive Enhancement Options
There are other cognitive enhancement programs designed to increase skills such as auditory processing, visual discrimination, processing speed, phonological awareness, planning, sequencing, attention to detail, etc. By increasing a child’s functioning in any cognitive skill area, his overall level of academic achievement can be enhanced.
These types of processing, attention, and working memory training programs are often overlooked in when developing an educational program, yet the gains made through these programs can create significant gains across all academic subjects. Some programs require more parent involvement, and some can be used by the child without significant adult assistance.
When selecting the most appropriate cognitive or working memory training program for your child, consider how much time and interaction you can commit. It helps to be realistic about how well you can work one-on-one with your child, how well your child works alone, and whether an outside provider will have an easier time gaining cooperation when working with your child.
To get the most out of the cognitive or working memory training program you choose, try to match the program to your child’s abilities and needs. There is no sense in purchasing a program your child can’t or won’t use.
