5 Ways to Free Up Working Memory in Math
Cognitive overload can create a bottleneck during math lessons, but there are simple strategies to clear up students’ brain space for complex problem-solving.
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Go to My Saved Content.Working memory is critical for tackling difficult math problems, but it is finite and can be overburdened quickly, making it hard for students to parse out details and steps when working through lessons. But teachers can lower the pressure on working memory in a variety of research-backed ways, allowing students to simplify math problems so that the most important parts can be isolated and absorbed more easily.
Word problems can be particularly challenging for students to navigate as they struggle to process numbers, operations, and story details. When students reorganize information by using visual annotations such as highlighting, underlining, and crossing out, identifying the central equation can be easier.
To alleviate cognitive burden, teachers can post visual aids and anchor charts that reference key terms or parse out math methods step-by-step. This provides scaffolds that allow students to extend their mental space.
When students are able to touch and feel objects that represent math information in an equation, such as manipulatives, blocks, or even their own fingers, they are able to make connections between abstract ideas and physical items more easily.
Presenting math equations in a familiar context, like a bank or an ice cream shop, helps students make sense of the problem at hand much more confidently than if the same equation was presented in an unfamiliar or obscure context.
Lastly, when foundational information and operations are reviewed on a regular basis, students do not have to spend so much of their working memory recalling old information when problem-solving. Rather, regular reviews and practice build students’ long-term memory, opening up space to tackle more complex math problems at hand.
To learn more about the research cited in this video, check out the resources below.
- Nonmanut Pongsakdi, Anu Kajamies, Koen Veermans, Kalle Lertola, Marja Vauras, and Erno Lehtinen’s study on what makes mathematical problem-solving challenging (2020).
- Michal Berkowitz, Peter Edelsbrunner, and Elsbeth Stern’s study on the relationship between working memory and mathematics performance (2022).
- Wendy Ross, Frédéric Vallée-Tourangeau, and Jo Van Herwegen’s research on the effect of manipulating external number representations on older children’s mental math success (2019).
- Hardi Sigus and Kaja Mädamürk’s study on the importance of extra-mathematical knowledge in solving mathematical problems (2024).
To find even more effective brain-based strategies for math instruction, read Youki Terada’s article for Edutopia, “7 Research-Backed Ways to Boost Working Memory in Math.”