When the Task Is the Problem: Noticing Hidden Memory Load in Learning

When a learner struggles with a task, it’s natural for us as tutors to focus on the learner. Did they understand it? Have they forgotten what we taught? Do I need to explain it again? Do they need more support? But sometimes there’s another question we need to ask first: What was this task actually asking the learner’s brain to do? In this September episode, dyslexia and dyscalculia specialist Katie Nelson explores the hidden memory demands that can sit within seemingly straightforward learning activities. A learner may be trying to remember instructions, retain a sequence, retrieve previously learned information, process vocabulary or symbols and complete the actual learning task – all at the same time. When that load becomes too great, we might see a learner: ask repeatedly for instructions lose their place or the sequence pause or stall rush or guess avoid part of the task make unexpected mistakes despite appearing to understand the concept But those behaviours don’t automatically tell us why the learner is struggling. Katie explores why specialist tutors need to become curious about the demands of the task, rather than immediately attributing difficulty to ability, effort or understanding. Using examples from both literacy and maths tutoring, the episode considers how working-memory demands can become hidden within reading, spelling, writing, calculation, problem solving and multi-step activities. Most importantly, Katie encourages tutors to resist the temptation to immediately fix what they see. Sometimes the first step in specialist practice is simply to pause, observe and understand. 🎁 FREE Accompanying Resource: Task Load Snapshot This month’s episode comes with a free practical resource: ⁠Task Load Snapshot: A Simple Guide to Noticing Memory Demands in Tasks⁠ The Task Load Snapshot is designed to be used during or immediately after a single tutoring activity. It helps tutors notice: what the learner needed to remember what needed to be held in mind while doing something else how much information was being managed simultaneously what happened when memory appeared to become stretched what the tutor notices about the overall memory demands of the task Importantly, this is not a memory assessment or an intervention tool. It’s an observation tool designed to help tutors slow the moment down and build a clearer picture before deciding what, if anything, needs to change. ⁠Download your FREE Task Load Snapshot⁠ alongside this episode and try it with one learner this month.