Parents and teachers often look at decoding skills, phonics instruction, and reading fluency when a child struggles to learn to read. But one critical factor that is often overlooked is working memory.
Working memory plays a significant role in a child's ability to learn to read, process information, and retain what they have learned.
If you're interested in learning about working memory and reading, this post will explore what working memory is, how it impacts reading, and what parents can do to help children who struggle with working memory challenges.
What Is Working Memory?
Working memory is the brain’s ability to temporarily hold and manipulate information.
It is essential for various cognitive tasks, including problem-solving, following multi-step directions, and—most importantly—learning to read.
Think of working memory as a mental workspace. It allows children to hold onto sounds, letters, and words long enough to make sense of them.
For example, when a child is reading a sentence, they must remember the beginning of the sentence while processing the words that follow.
How Does Working Memory Affect Reading Skills?
1. Phonological Processing and Decoding
Phonological processing—the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate sounds—is crucial for decoding words. Children with weak working memory may struggle to hold onto the sequence of sounds in a word, making it difficult to decode unfamiliar words accurately.
Example: A child with poor working memory may struggle to blend the sounds in "cat" together because they forget the first sound before getting to the last one.
2. Reading Fluency
Fluency requires a child to read smoothly and accurately, recognizing words quickly. A child with working memory challenges may have difficulty retrieving sight words or remembering words they just sounded out, leading to slow and choppy reading.
Example: A child may successfully sound out "jump" on one page but fail to recognize it when encountering it again in the following sentence.
3. Comprehension
Working memory is essential for reading comprehension. Children need to hold onto words and sentences they have read while making sense of new information. If a child forgets the beginning of a sentence by the time they reach the end, comprehension will suffer.
Example: A child might read a paragraph but struggle to summarize what they just read because they couldn’t retain the key details.
4. Following Multi-Step Instructions
Reading often requires children to follow multiple steps—whether in phonics lessons, reading comprehension exercises, or spelling rules. A child with a weak working memory may struggle to remember all the steps in a sequence.
Example: If a teacher asks a child to "underline the subject, circle the verb, and highlight the adjectives," the child may only complete the first step and forget the rest.
Signs Your Child May Have Working Memory and Reading Challenges
Difficulty following multi-step directions
Trouble remembering letter-sound relationships
Forgetting words they just read
Struggling to retain information from one sentence to the next
Slow and effortful reading
Poor comprehension despite decoding words correctly
How to Support a Child with Working Memory Difficulties
1. Break Information into Smaller Chunks
Presenting information in smaller, manageable parts can make it easier for a child to process and retain what they’re learning.
Example: Instead of teaching five spelling rules at once, introduce one at a time and provide plenty of practice before moving to the next.
2. Use Multisensory Learning Approaches
Engaging multiple senses (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic) helps reinforce learning and bypass working memory limitations.
Example: Using letter tiles, tracing words in sand, or clapping syllables can help a child retain phonics patterns.
3. Encourage Repetition and Review
Frequent review helps solidify learning in long-term memory so that children don’t have to rely as heavily on their working memory.
Example: Flashcards, repeated readings, and daily practice with sight words can reinforce recognition and recall.
4. Provide Visual Aids and Graphic Organizers
Visual supports like graphic organizers, charts, and color-coded notes help reduce cognitive load and make information more accessible.
Example: A simple story map with sections for "beginning, middle, and end" can help a child organize their thoughts when summarizing a story.
5. Give Extra Processing Time
Children with working memory challenges may need more time to process information before responding.
Example: If asking comprehension questions, allow a pause before expecting an answer, or let the child reread the text as needed.
6. Teach Memory Strategies
Strategies such as chunking (grouping information into smaller parts), using acronyms, and verbal rehearsal (repeating information aloud) can strengthen working memory.
Example: Teaching a child to group numbers in a phone number (e.g., 555-123-4567 instead of 5551234567) makes recall easier.
How to Get Help with Working Memory and Reading
Working memory plays a crucial role in reading success. When children struggle with reading despite strong effort, it’s important to consider whether weak working memory could be a factor.
By recognizing the signs and implementing targeted strategies, parents and educators can help children strengthen their working memory skills and become more confident, successful readers.
If your child is struggling with reading and you suspect working memory may be part of the challenge, our team of online Reading Specialists can help.
We provide personalized, research-backed strategies to close reading gaps and support lifelong literacy success.
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