An Evaluation of a Classroom-Based Intervention to Help Overcome Working Memory Difficulties and Improve Long-Term Academic Achievement
Open accessAbstract
Two contrasting forms of classroom-based intervention were implemented with 256 primary school children identified as having working memory (WM) difficulties. In one, teaching staff were trained to provide educational environments that were sensitive to the needs of identified children with WM difficulties. The second form of intervention utilized a behavioral teaching approach in which identified children were provided with regular, brief, and highly focused inputs in relevant basic skills areas. A third group of children with similar WM difficulties served as controls. At the end of the year, there was no evidence that either of the intervention programs had resulted in greater WM or academic performance (on Wechsler mathematics and reading tests) than for controls. However, classroom observation data indicated that the extent to which teachers implemented desirable strategies at any time point, inside or outside of the interventions (that is, across all of the research groups), proved to be a predictor of the children’s attainment. The implications of these findings for further work in this burgeoning field are discussed.
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A classroom-based compensatory approach that restructured curricula to reduce working memory demands failed to produce significant academic or neurocognitive benefits compared with control groups.
“This approach, which focused on identifying and restructuring curricula to decrease working memory demands, failed to find significant academic or neurocognitive benefits relative to control groups (Elliot, Gathercole, Alloway, Holmes, & Kirkwood, 2010).”
From Improving Outcomes for Youth with ADHD: A Conceptual Framework for Combined Neurocognitive and Skill-Based Treatment Approaches (2014) · cites this paper as Elliot, Gathercole, Alloway, Holmes, & Kirkwood, 2010
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- Authors
- Elliott, J. G., Gathercole, S. E., Alloway, T. P., Holmes, J., & Kirkwood, H.
- Affiliations
- Durham University (GB)
- University of York (GB)
- University of Stirling (GB)
- Northumbria University (GB)
- Venue
- Journal of Cognitive Education and Psychology
- Publisher
- Springer Publishing Company
- Published
- 2010-01-01
- Volume
- 9
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 227-250
- ISSN
- 1810-7621 (ISSN-L)
- 1945-8959
- OpenAlex
- W2043859398
- Cited by
- 61
- References
- 43
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 3.60
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- Journal of Cognitive Education and Psychology (publishedVersion)
- Durham Research Online (Durham University) (acceptedVersion)
- Durham Research Online (Durham University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Developmental and Educational Neuropsychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
- Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Statistics and Probability › Cognitive and developmental aspects of mathematical skills
- Keywords
- classroom intervention, elementary school students, teacher professional development, academic performance, mathematics achievement, reading achievement
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