Memory and Transfer Professional Resource by Mandy Walker

Sensory Memory

walkermandyt — 2025-09-25 01:37:02 UTC

Brief storage from the senses; filters what matters. Sensory memory includes memory from the five senses- sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste. This is why when we are able to bring in multi sensory learning, it is so effective. When students activate multiple different senses while learning, they can more easily retain the information.

Working memory

walkermandyt — 2025-09-25 01:37:59 UTC

Holds information temporarily. Important for problem solving. Students utilize working memory most during school. This includes problem solving, reasoning, and learning. Students use their working memory when learning new phonics skills or when they are learning how to do a math problem.

Long Term Memory

walkermandyt — 2025-09-25 01:39:16 UTC

Stores skills and facts long term. When a skill has been practiced and revisited often, eventually the skill will be stored into long term memory. This is why it is so important for students to do spiral reviews, and work on previously learned skills. Introducing a skill one time will usually not store the skill in long term memory.

Retention

walkermandyt — 2025-09-25 01:40:11 UTC

Retention is strengthened through repetition and making connections. A great time to make connections is when reading. During the reading block, having students make connections to the text and help deepen students understanding of concepts. While reading aloud, model for students making a connection to the text, and have them also make connections.

Transfer

walkermandyt — 2025-09-25 03:18:20 UTC

Transfer happens when knowledge applies to new tasks. When prior knowledge is able to be applied to something new, students are able to transfer information. For example, if a student knows all about the beach because they recently went to the beach, and now in class we are learning about ocean animals, the student may be better able to apply their prior knowledge and transfer what they already know about the ocean to the new information they are learning about ocean animals.

Prior Knowledge

walkermandyt — 2025-09-25 03:19:24 UTC

Students learn more efficiently and effectively when new content links (connects) to prior or background knowledge.

Trauma

walkermandyt — 2025-09-25 03:20:07 UTC

Trauma changes how the brain works when it comes to encoding and retrieving information. Trauma affects how students learn in many aspects. We have to adjust and adapt to help fit the needs of our students. We may have to scaffold and chunk our lessons to lessen the cognitive load.

Stress

walkermandyt — 2025-09-25 03:21:01 UTC

The stress hormone cortisol interferes with the hippocampus. Stress can greatly affect student learning and retention. This is why teaching students mindfulness techniques is so important. Teaching students how to take deep breaths, count to ten, utilize the calm down corner effectively, and how to regulate their emotions is very important.

Affects

walkermandyt — 2025-09-25 03:21:51 UTC

Students affected by trauma may struggle with self regulation, behavior, attention, and recalling information. These students may need extra support in order to be successful in the classroom. Social stories, behavior reward systems, and positive reinforcements are all strategies that can be used.

Multisensory Instruction

walkermandyt — 2025-09-25 03:22:58 UTC

Multisensory instruction can include touch, sound, movement, and visuals. Tactile learning can be specially helpful for students. This is helpful for students because they are getting the same information but in different ways. Students who may have trouble comprehending verbal direct instruction may benefit from different instructional styles that are hands on.

Trauma Sensitive Classrooms

walkermandyt — 2025-09-25 03:24:09 UTC

Predictable routines, calming corners, procedures in place, strong relationships. Students thrive in classrooms where they know what to expect daily. Students need consistency. For students who have experienced trauma, school may be the only place where they have this consistency that they need.

Memory Retrieval

walkermandyt — 2025-09-25 03:25:28 UTC

Practice quizzes, reviews, and repeated readings all help with memory retrieval. All of these strategies can help with memory retrieval. Giving students extra practice in low stakes situation can strengthen their understanding.

walkermandyt — 2025-09-25 03:30:58 UTC

DiTullio, G. (2021) How to engage students' memory processes to improve learning. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-engage-students-memory-processes-improve-learning

American Psychiatric Association. (2021). The science behind PTSD symptoms: How trauma changes the brain. https//www.psychiatry.org

McCoy, K. (2021). How your brain copes with grief and why it takes time to heal. NPR. https://www.npr.org

walkermandyt — 2025-09-25 03:34:31 UTC

walkermandyt — 2025-09-25 03:40:47 UTC

Reference

Understanding the science behind learning retention | reports | what we think | indegene. (n.d.-b). https://www.indegene.com/what-we-think/reports/understanding-science-behind-learning-retention