Research abstract

Poverty’s Effect on Working Memory

When children fall behind it is an uphill battle for the rest of their academic careers. Experts say that by identifying students with working memory or cognitive problems from an early age we can keep them from ever falling behind in school! By Eric Jensen

head-607480_960_720
Some children grow up in environments where their parents can be active in their lives and teach them to think flexibly. Brain elasticity is not something that grows well without cultivation. Parents in poverty may struggle to spend the time that they need to in order to develop their children.

The article is not too sales like, it sets the stage well for how brains work etc then goes on to explain how demographics affect this etc.

Children of parents in poverty may spend more time in front entertainment, at day care services, or on their own. This can impact the way that their minds record the events of the day. Their memories may suffer because they simply do not have the influence that aid cultivating memory.

Key takeaways

  1. A weak working memory is a leading predictor or poor academic success.
  2. Relevant teaching strategies can improve working memory and cognitive capacity. Students that come from a poverty stricken environment have the opportunity and do not need to repeat a parents lack of educational success.
  3. Children who live in poverty have a higher risk or a weak working memory. This is because the stress of their current living situation can hamper limit the working memory.

Is your child struggling in school?

Get your free personalized learning roadmap

You describe what you see at home. We turn it into a plan you start this week.

  • Answer 5 short questionnaires about what you already notice, 30–45 minutes at your own kitchen table
  • Your child sits no test and gets no score: nothing to schedule, nothing for them to dread
  • You do the answering, the AI does the writing, and a person reviews it before it reaches you
  • Access all 40+ courses instantly: reading, math, focus, processing and more, with new ones added regularly

Why we use AI, plainly: it writes from a knowledge base our team maintains and audits. We work through it line by line and pull anything the evidence stops supporting. The roadmap you get on Tuesday reflects what we corrected on Monday, and a human still reads it before you do.

Your school district must evaluate your child free of charge if you ask in writing, whatever your income and whatever the outcome (US, 34 CFR 300.111 and 300.301(b)). That route takes time and answers a different question than you do. This one starts today, from what you already know.

Get my free assessment & 7-day trial Cancel anytime during your trial.

Your answers stay yours. We do not sell your personal information, and we do not hand identifiable assessment data to outside AI companies to train their models.

A screener is a starting point, not a diagnosis. If your child might need formal accommodations (an IEP or 504 plan), or you suspect a vision, hearing or medical cause, pursue a professional evaluation too. That is the only route to those supports.

Laura Lurns · Learning Success expert Writes about the learning brain for parents who want plain answers. Every article is grounded in current neuroscience and classroom practice.