As our understanding of the human memory system broadens and develops, new opportunities arise for improving students’ long-term knowledge retention in the classroom. Written by two experts on the subject, this book explores how scientific models of memory and cognition can inform instructional practices. Six chapters guide readers through the information processing model of memory, working and long-term memory, and Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) before addressing instructional strategies. This accessible, up-to-date volume is designed for any educational psychology or general education course that includes memory in the curriculum and will be indispensable for student researchers and both pre- and in-service teachers alike.

Dr Tracy Alloway has been awarded the prestigious Joseph Lister Award from the British Science Association. ′The authors have written a guide for practitioners that is both highly practical, and yet based upon sound theoretical principles....This book achieves a successful, yet often elusive, link between theory, research and practice, and deserves to have a high readership. I will have no hesitation in recommending it to a range of readers′ - Jane Mott, Support for Learning ′This book fulfils its aim to explain working memory and the limits it places on children′s classroom learning. For teachers it gives a very clear guide and fills a gap in understanding that can only lead to more child-centred approaches to teaching and learning′ - Lynn Ambler, Support for Learning ′A clear and accessible account of current theory and research, which is then applied to children′s learning in the classroom....The range of strategies...are well grounded in theory derived from research and sit within a coherent conceptual model′ - The Psychologist ′An easy to read yet informative book that explains the concepts clearly and offers practitioners ways to support those with poor working memory in the classroom′ - SNIP `The topic of working memory nowadays tends to dominate discussions with teachers and parents, and both groups can helpfully be directed to this easy-to-read but serious text ... (it) is likely to prove a turning-point in the management and facilitation of hard-to-teach children. In a situation muddied by ever-multiplying syndromes and disorders, this book delivers a clarifying and reassuring isolation of the major cognitive characteristic that cuts across all the boundaries and leaves the class teacher and SENCO empowered. I think very highly of the book and shall be recommending it steadily′ - Martin Turner, Child Center for Evaluation and Teaching, Kuwait Susan Gathercole is winner of the British Psychological Society′s President′s Award for 2007 A good working memory is crucial to becoming a successful learner, yet there is very little material available in an easy-to-use format that explains the concept and offers practitioners ways to support children with poor working memory in the classroom. This book provides a coherent overview of the role played by working memory in learning during the school years, and uses theory to inform good practice. Topics covered include: - the link between working memory skills and key areas of learning (such as literacy & numeracy) - the relationship between working memory and children with developmental disorders - assessment of children for working memory deficits - strategies for supporting working memory in under-performing children This accessible guide will help SENCOs, teachers, teaching assistants, speech and language therapists and educational psychologists to understand and address working memory in their setting.

Brain research is much in the news, but what is its relevance in the classroom? Are there ways to take what brain researchers are discovering about learning and memory and apply it to the situations that educators face every day? Practicing teacher and author Marilee Sprenger tells how to do just that in this book. Sprenger has spent years studying neurological research and training other educators in brain compatible teaching methods. This background, combined with her long career as a classroom teacher, has given her priceless knowledge of what works in a multitude of classroom situations. Current brain research is as amazing as it can be confusing. This book discusses in plain terms the structure, function, and development of the human brain. The author describes the five "memory lanes"--semantic, episodic, procedural, automatic, and emotional--and tells how they function in learning and memory. She offers dozens of practical suggestions for teaching and assessing in brain-compatible ways. Bridging the gap between theory and practice, the book offers valid, usable, "What you can do on Monday" ideas to incorporate into the classroom. This is an approach to brain research that educators at all levels can apply in their daily work.

"Concise, nontechnical explanations of major principles of memory and attention, plus ideas for handling technology use in the classroom"--

Psychologists have been trying to understand the factors that underpin children's success and failure in different educational domains for many years. One psychological function that has been found to play an important role in educational achievement is 'working memory', the processes involved in the temporary maintenance and manipulation of information. This book provides the reader with an up-to-date review of the research that has identified how working memory relates to academic attainment in: reading, reading comprehension, arithmetic and writing, as well as looking at how children with difficulties relating to hearing impairment and attention deficits differ in terms of their working memory. Other chapters focus on how working memory is called upon in classroom settings, how working memory can be assessed, and approaches to remediation. The opening chapter of the book provides an account of working memory from the architect of the model that has dominated psychological theory for over two decades. This book is a valuable resource for psychologists, educationalists, and anyone seeking to understand more about the cognitive basis of educational achievement in children. * It brings together in one volume information that would normally be found in different sources * It brings together two disciplines that are highly relevant to one another (psychology and education) but not often linked directly * Provides psychologists with a perspective on educational practice * Provides educationalists with a well-established psychological framework for viewing educational phenomena * It provides information about up-to-date research techniques * It provides suggestions on how psychological theory can be translated into practice in educational settings

To most of us, learning something "the hard way" implies wasted time and effort. Good teaching, we believe, should be creatively tailored to the different learning styles of students and should use strategies that make learning easier. Make It Stick turns fashionable ideas like these on their head. Drawing on recent discoveries in cognitive psychology and other disciplines, the authors offer concrete techniques for becoming more productive learners. Memory plays a central role in our ability to carry out complex cognitive tasks, such as applying knowledge to problems never before encountered and drawing inferences from facts already known. New insights into how memory is encoded, consolidated, and later retrieved have led to a better understanding of how we learn. Grappling with the impediments that make learning challenging leads both to more complex mastery and better retention of what was learned. Many common study habits and practice routines turn out to be counterproductive. Underlining and highlighting, rereading, cramming, and single-minded repetition of new skills create the illusion of mastery, but gains fade quickly. More complex and durable learning come from self-testing, introducing certain difficulties in practice, waiting to re-study new material until a little forgetting has set in, and interleaving the practice of one skill or topic with another. Speaking most urgently to students, teachers, trainers, and athletes, Make It Stick will appeal to all those interested in the challenge of lifelong learning and self-improvement.

'Bursting with fresh ideas, packed with practical tips, filled with wise words, this is an inspiring guide for all teachers.' Lee Elliot Major, Professor of Social Mobility, University of Exeter and co-author of What Works? 50 tried-and-tested practical ideas to help you tackle the top ten issues in your classroom. Ross Morrison McGill, bestselling author of Mark. Plan. Teach. and Teacher Toolkit, pinpoints the top ten key issues that schools in Great Britain are facing today, and provides strategies, ideas and techniques for how these issues can be tackled most effectively. We often talk about the challenges of teacher recruitment and retention, about new initiatives and political landscapes, but day in, day out, teachers and schools are delivering exceptional teaching and most of it is invisible. Ross uncovers, celebrates, and analyses best practice in teaching. Supported by case studies and research undertaken by Ross in ten primary and secondary schools across Britain, including a pupil referral unit and private, state and grammar schools, as well as explanations from influential educationalists as to why and how these ideas work, Ross explores the issues of marking and assessment, planning, teaching and learning, teacher wellbeing, student mental health, behaviour and exclusions, SEND, curriculum, research-led practice and CPD. With a foreword by Lord Jim Knight and contributions from Priya Lakhani, Andria Zafirakou, Mark Martin, Professor Andy Hargreaves and many more, this book inspires readers to open their eyes to how particular problems can be resolved and how other schools are already doing this effectively. It is packed with ideas and advice for all primary and secondary classroom teachers and school leaders keen to provide the best education they possibly can for our young people today.