Describe the aspects of working memory and metamemory during the middle childhood period.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The efficiency of working memory increases greatly in middle childhood, a development that stems from improvements in processing speed and storage capacity. Because working memory is necessary for storing information while other material is being mentally manipulated, the capacity of a child's working memory can directly affect his or her academic success. Children with low working memory struggle with structured learning activities and have difficulty following lengthy instructions. Estimates are that as many as 10 percent of school-age children suffer from low working memory.

Between ages 5 and 7, the brain's frontal lobes undergo significant development and reorganization. These changes may make possible improved metamemory, the knowledge of the processes of memory. From kindergarten through fifth grade, children advance steadily in understanding memory. Kindergartners and first graders know that people remember better if they study longer, that people forget things with time, and that relearning something is easier than learning it for the first time. By third grade, children know that some people remember better than others and that some things are easier to remember than others.