A student with short-term memory deficits would likely have the most difficulty with which task?

A student with short-term memory deficits would likely have the most difficulty with which task?

• A. Reciting the alphabet
• B. Following multistep oral directions
• C. Self-correcting written work
• D. Recognizing sight words

Answer: (B)

Short-term memory deficits make it hard to hold and manipulate several pieces of information at once. Following multistep oral directions requires keeping each step in working memory while you carry them out in order. If the memory span is limited, earlier steps can be forgotten before you finish, leading to mistakes or incomplete tasks. The other tasks lean more on automatic recall or established skills from long-term memory, or on self-monitoring rather than holding a sequence in memory. Reciting the alphabet is a practiced, automatic retrieval. Recognizing sight words relies on quick retrieval of whole word representations. Self-correcting written work involves monitoring and applying writing conventions, which uses different cognitive skills than juggling multiple steps in the moment. So, the task that most hinges on short-term memory is following multistep oral directions.

Short-term memory deficits make it hard to hold and manipulate several pieces of information at once. Following multistep oral directions requires keeping each step in working memory while you carry them out in order. If the memory span is limited, earlier steps can be forgotten before you finish, leading to mistakes or incomplete tasks.

The other tasks lean more on automatic recall or established skills from long-term memory, or on self-monitoring rather than holding a sequence in memory. Reciting the alphabet is a practiced, automatic retrieval. Recognizing sight words relies on quick retrieval of whole word representations. Self-correcting written work involves monitoring and applying writing conventions, which uses different cognitive skills than juggling multiple steps in the moment.

So, the task that most hinges on short-term memory is following multistep oral directions.