Best Practice

Improving pupils' working memory

Achieving effective differentiation in the classroom and improving your pupils’ working memories are key priorities for teachers. Margaret Reeve offers some quick CPD ideas

With pupils, even in the same class, often having different capabilities, one of the most fundamental areas of development for teachers is in understanding differentiation strategies. These are the techniques used to help pupils make good progress, irrespective of their starting points.

Mike Gershon has published the “Differentiation Deviser” which has 80 examples of differentiation strategies, activities and techniques (see further information). It says these can be used “across the key stages and the curriculum”, and includes areas such as simplifying language, using examples, using seating plans and differentiating by outcome.

Working memory plays a critical part in the way pupils learn, but has limitations. Find ways to overcome those limitations and you will enhance pupils’ capabilities.

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