Ever feel like your students’ brains are full of open tabs, and they keep clicking on the wrong one? Working memory is the secret weapon behind strong readers—it helps them hold onto sounds, blend words, and actually remember what they just read. But here’s the catch: if working memory is weak, reading feels like trying to juggle with spaghetti. Messy and frustrating. The good news? You can train it! These four fun and simple activities will boost working memory so your students can tackle reading with confidence (and fewer “Wait… what did that just say?” moments). Let’s dive in!
What is Working Memory?
When I think of memory these days, I can’t help but think about the movie Inside Out. I love how memories are represented in that movie. However, they focused on short-term and long-term memory. So what is working memory? And how is it different than short-term memory?
🔹 Short-Term Memory = Storage 🗄️
It’s like a temporary holding space for information. Think of it as a sticky note in your brain—it holds info for a few seconds but doesn’t do anything with it. Example: A student hears “cat, jump, sun” and writes them down immediately.
🔹 Working Memory = Storage + Processing 🛠️
It’s an active system that not only holds information but also manipulates it to complete a task. Example: A student hears “cat, jump, sun,” then puts each word into a sentence while remembering spelling rules.
💡 Why does this matter? Strong working memory is crucial for reading, following multi-step directions, and problem-solving!
Working memory is the brain’s “sticky note”—but with a twist! 🧠✨ It’s the ability to hold onto and use information for a short period to complete a task.
For example, when a student is:
- Sounding out a word while keeping the sentence meaning in mind
- Remembering multi-step directions
- Solving a math problem without losing track of the steps
Working memory is essential for reading, writing, and learning, but it can be tricky for some kids. The good news? It can be strengthened with the right strategies! 💪📖
Incorporate Movement & Rhythm
For K-3 students, improving working memory while reading should be fun, interactive, and hands-on. Here are some engaging strategies that blend kinesthetic learning with phonics skills:
1. Clap, Tap, or Stomp for Sounds & Syllables
- Clap It Out: Clap for each syllable in a word (e.g., “ba-na-na” = 3 claps).
- Tap Your Arm: Tap from shoulder to wrist for each phoneme in a word (e.g., “c-a-t” = 3 taps).
- Stomp for Syllables: Say a word and stomp each time a syllable is spoken.
2. Snap or Pat for Vowel Sounds
- Snap for Short, Clap for Long: Read a word, and students snap if they hear a short vowel or clap if it’s long.
- Pat Your Head for Vowel Teams: When decoding words with vowel teams (e.g., “boat” or “train”), pat your head when you hear the vowel sound.
3. Body Spelling & Air Writing
- Jump for Letters: Say a word, and students jump for each letter as they spell it aloud.
- Air Write with Big Motions: Use arms to “write” letters in the air while saying the sounds.
- Tap Your Toes: Tap one foot for consonants and the other for vowels while spelling a word.
4. Use Hand Motions for Phonemes
- “Stretch & Shrink” Words: Stretch arms out as you say each phoneme, then bring them together when blending.
- Fist & Finger Counting: Say a word slowly, raising a finger for each sound (e.g., “sh-i-p” = 3 fingers up).
5. Movement-Based Sound Sorting
Silent E Magic Wand: Pretend to wave a wand when adding silent e (e.g., “cap” to “cape”).
Hop to the Right or Left: Read a word, and students hop left if it has a short vowel, right if it has a long vowel.
Four Corners of Phonics: Label room corners with “CVC,” “CVCe,” “Vowel Teams,” etc., and have students run to the right corner when they hear a word.
Memory Games
Digital Memory Games helps students strengthen their working memory by challenging them to remember and recall details from busy scenes. This fun game requires students to focus, retain details, and answer questions–all essential skills for improving memory and attention. You can work so many important executive functioning skills in just a few minutes per game.
Try it for free here
Mindfulness Activities
Mindfulness might sound like something only yoga-loving adults do, but trust me—your little learners need it too! When kids practice mindfulness, they’re training their brains to focus, slow down, and actually pay attention (cue teacher happy dance). Simple activities like deep breathing, listening to a chime, or tracing their fingers can help them strengthen their working memory by improving focus and reducing distractions. And let’s be real—when kids can remember what they just read or what step comes next, life in the classroom runs so much smoother. So go ahead, take a deep breath, and give mindfulness a try. Your future self will thank you!
1. Five-Finger Breathing
- Have students hold up one hand and use their other hand to trace their fingers.
- Inhale as they trace up a finger, exhale as they trace down.
- Repeat for all five fingers for a calming effect.
2. Balloon Breaths
- Have students imagine they are inflating a balloon in their belly.
- Breathe in deeply through the nose, filling the “balloon.”
- Slowly exhale through the mouth like they’re letting air out of a balloon.
3. Rainbow Breathing
- Imagine a rainbow and take deep breaths for each color.
- Example: Red = deep breath in, Orange = deep breath out, etc.
4. Listening to the Bell
- Ring a chime or bell.
- Ask students to silently listen and raise their hands when they can no longer hear the sound.
5. Mindful Senses (5-4-3-2-1 Grounding)
- Have students name:
- 5 things they see
- 4 things they feel
- 3 things they hear
- 2 things they smell
- 1 thing they taste
6. Bubble Breaths
- Pretend to blow bubbles:
- Inhale deeply through the nose.
- Slowly exhale through the mouth as if blowing a bubble.
- Imagine the bubble floating away with any worries.
7. Animal Breathing
- Bunny Breaths: Take three quick sniffs in through the nose, then a long exhale.
- Snake Breaths: Inhale deeply, then hiss the exhale out slowly like a snake.
Strengthen Visualization
This one might be my favorite because it’s all about spending more time with your eyes closed! 😅 Helping students strengthen their visualization skills is a game-changer for learning to read. When students can visualize words, settings, and details in their minds, they will be better able to recall what they are reading. Here are some easy ways to build those mental movie-making muscles:
- Brain Spelling: Have students close their eyes and give them a word. Encourage students to spell the word in their mind by “drawing” each letter. They could use their finger in the air or on the table to help them.
- “Picture This” Read-Alouds – Pause while reading and ask students to close their eyes and describe what they “see” happening in the story.
- Sensory Sketching – Have students draw what they imagine after hearing a descriptive passage, focusing on colors, textures, and small details.
- Think Like a Movie Director – Ask students to visualize a scene as if they were directing a movie—what do the characters look like? What’s the setting? What’s happening in the background?
- Guided Imagery Practice – Read a short passage rich in sensory details and guide students through visualizing with prompts like, “What colors do you see?” or “How does this place feel?”
- Wordless Picture Books – Let students narrate the story based on the images, helping them practice turning visuals into detailed mental pictures.
With a little practice, your students will be turning words into vivid mental images in no time—like their own personal story theater! 🎭✨
Working memory is like a mental backpack—kids need it to carry all the important info while they read! The good news? With a little practice (and some fun, low-prep activities), you can help them strengthen this skill without making it feel like extra work. Whether they’re clapping for key details, visualizing like a movie director, or playing memory-boosting games, these strategies will keep their brains active and engaged. So go ahead, sneak in these activities, and watch your students become stronger, more confident readers—one memory boost at a time! 🚀📖💡
