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as this, it is possible that more proficient performers use some memory tricks to try to remember an extra
digit or two, whereas LD students fail to use any such strategies. This could at least partly account for
differences in performance on short-term memory tasks.
It is important to keep in mind that even if LD students learn more effective strategies, they may still
have more difficulty learning than other students. One reason is that prior knowledge is also an important
factor that influences learning, and if a student has used inefficient strategies for many years, that student
will have a much smaller knowledge base to draw from to understand new information. Learning better
strategies should help student enrich their knowledge base, but it may be difficult to catch up.
To the extent that some LD children’s difficulties are caused by physical differences in the size of
short-term memory, these students will likely have more difficulty with some of the strategies. For instance,
elaboration is a strategy that makes heavy demands on short-term memory, as the learner combines new
information with elements of prior knowledge in short-term memory to construct new memory structures.
Indeed, most of the strategies outlined in this chapter pose demands on working memory, and LD students
with restricted working memory space may find it harder to use these strategies and may profit less from
them. Nonetheless, strategy instruction has proven to be a valuable intervention with LD students. In
Chapter 16 (strategy instruction), you will also learn about ways to adapt instruction to students with
learning disabilities.