Cognitive – Key Question

How can knowledge of working memory be used to help those with dyslexia?

Exam question possibilities 1. Describe the key question from the social approach which you have studied. (4 marks) A01 ONLY 2. Use concepts and research from the social approach to explain the key question you have studied. (6 marks) AO2 ONLY 3. Discuss the key issue from the social approach which you have studied (8 marks) A01 and A02

Dyslexia  Is not the same for everyone  People with dyslexia often have strengths in reasoning, in visual and creative fields; dyslexia is not related to general intelligence; and is not the result of visual difficulties.strengths in reasoning, in visual and creative fields

A01  Research:    Photos of page 126 and 127  Make notes for your AO1  General information about dyslexia  Link to working memory  Link to short term memory  Using your notes explain why it is important for psychologists to study potential interventions to improve the educational attainment of those with dyslexia (a paragraph).

A01  General information about dyslexia  Link to working memory  Link to short term memory  Why is it important for psychologists to study potential interventions to improve the educational attainment of those with dyslexia (a paragraph).

How is short term memory implicated in dyslexia? Difficulty remembering facts, dates (Semantic),encoding in LTM, hard to carry out more than one task at a time (difficulty with the different temporary stores in WMM). What specific problems do people with dyslexia have with words? Breaking words into sounds suggesting a difficulty with the phonological loop. Strategies that can be used in the classroom? clearly stating lesson aims using checklists simplifying instructions highlighting or colour coding information using audio and visual materials avoiding asking a child to read out loud. Because dyslexia is also associated with slower processing speeds, avoiding lengthy periods of teacher talking and using alternative delivery methods can work better to prevent phonological loop overload.

Explore (and fill in the explanations table) A02  Read the Holmes (2012) article.Holmes (2012) article  On page 1, highlight and annotate key features of poor working memory function, making links to psychological knowledge explicit.  On page 2, highlight and annotate any key information; particularly how poor working memory is a risk factor for learning difficulties.  Now, move onto interventions – what does Holmes suggest could be done to help? There are 4 interventions that can be done by a teacher, and one alternative approach.  Link these interventions to the research we have covered in cognitive psychology.

A02 – explanations table Link to Cognitive research DyslexiaWMM – Baddeley How? Holmes - Age? Intervention 1? Intervention 2? Intervention 3? Intervention?

H/W  Discuss the key issue from the social approach which you have studied (8 marks) A01 and A02

Exam Questions  1. Give two ways in which knowledge of the working memory has helped to inform the treatment of dyslexia (4 marks)  2. Aaron has difficulty in school. He is disruptive and does not seem able to pay attention to what he is meant to be doing in class. He fins it difficult to write cohesively, tending to miss letters out of words and miss words from sentences. He finds reading equally problematic and finds it hard to follow his place in a passage of reading, as well as to sound out separate letters. His teachers think he is dyslexic and wonder what they can do to help him.  Using concepts, theories and studies from the cognitive approach and understanding of working memory, explain how Aaron might be helped (8 marks).