Long-term memory

A student's long-term memory, or fund of knowledge and skills, is the foundation which school instruction seeks to develop and build upon. Therefore, long-term memory problems may lead to academic difficulties. Consequently, a student's long-term memory strengths and weaknesses should be identified with special education evaluation and noted on the corresponding reports and the IEP PLAAFP statements.  On a theoretical level, the long-term memory consists of two main components:

    1. Procedural memory – These are mostly automatic and reflexive responses for routine actions. After a good deal of repetition and practice these are performed without conscious thoughts. Once acquired, this type of habit becomes difficult to access in any way but by performing it.

    2. Declarative Memory – This is the ability to store and recall information which can be declared (spoken or in writing). These memories are mostly conscious and reflective responses. They involve consciously recalling and discussing what something is, or recalling and describing an event that occurred in the past.

As the cognitive processing graphic reflects, the information contained in these memories flow different ways. Therefore, when a student is experiencing problems remembering knowledge, or skills, in a particular subject, special education evaluations, corresponding reports, and IEP PLAAFP statements should attempt to identify where the problem occurs so that the special education report's recommendations and supplementary aids and services can focus on the contributing cognitive cause of the problem. For example, long-term memories:

1. Move from the "working memory", after a good deal of elaboration and organization, as well as student attention.

2. Are retrieved from and move back into working memory, or are directly expressed linguistically or non linguistically, which also depends on the efficient organization of these memories, as well as student attention.  

The following hyperlinked strategies are effective in preventing &/or addressing academic difficulties partially caused by long-term memory problems, which stakeholders can consider in lesson plans, school based interventions, &/or IEPs for students with disabilities below:

    a. Organization - Arrange teaching and learning activities in the problematic subject to assist in identifying similarities and differences

    b. Elaboration - Provide the student with cues, questions, and advanced organizers, as well as selected practice and homework to assist in elaborating on knowledge identified as problematic

    c. Student attention - Provide teaching and learning activities in the problematic subject or skill to maximize student attention.

    d. Assist the student in making connections between the subject and/or skill that's causing difficulty with what the student already knows by using using cues, questions, and advanced organizers.

    e. Based on the student's strengths and weaknesses, emphasize language mediated tasks or non linguistic representations, utilizing research-based instructional strategies.

    f. Build background knowledge in the subject/skill, which has been identified as a weakness.