TL;DR
Bright kids often struggle with exams because they have weaker cognitive skills like working memory, attention, and processing speed. Just like physical fitness, these core cognitive skills can be improved with targeted training.
We just heard from a worried mum of a bright 16-year-old with head-scratching problem:
“She’s incredibly bright,” the mum explained, “engages with advanced concepts verbally in class, and can read perfectly well. Yet, when it comes to written exams, she struggles to properly read or fully comprehend the questions. It’s like she can’t translate her verbal understanding into answering what’s on the page.”
You’d think if a child is smart, they will ace written tests. In fact, that’s how we often assess whether or not a child is smart. In reality, however, bright kids can struggle with exams too. What’s going on?
It’s often because understanding words on a page and understanding a complex question under pressure are two different things.
It’s not necessarily a reading issue. Often, the root of the problem is deeper – foundational cognitive skills like memory, attention, and processing need to be strengthened.
So how exactly do memory, attention & processing impact a smart student like the 16-year-old we mentioned?
Working memory – the juggling act
Imagine trying to juggle three balls while reciting a poem. Do you think you would drop the balls & forget the poem? I would.
Well, that’s a bit like what happens when a student encounters a multi-part exam question. They feel like they have to juggle multiple conflicting concepts in their mind to come up with and answer. They need to:
- Hold the entire question in mind.
- Identify keywords in the question and their relationship to each other.
- Remember relevant information from their long-term memory, such as what they learned at the beginning of the term.
- Formulate a coherent answer, all without losing track of the original question.
If working memory is weak, information can “drop” before they have formulated the answer. They might understand each part of a question in isolation, but struggle to connect them or remember the beginning by the time they reach the end. If they are communicating verbally, they can ask for repetition or clarification, offloading some of that memory burden. On an exam, they’re on their own.
Why phonological processing is so important
Children who have difficulty with phonological processing are at risk for developing reading and writing problems, such as dyslexia. Reading skills affect educational outcomes, which ultimately can impact a person’s employment prospects. Put simply, higher literacy skills lead to greater career and income growth opportunities.
Attention – the anchor
Any kind of written assessment requires focus – and exams in particular demand focus for long periods. For someone who “is easily distracted when something isn’t highly interesting” or “frequently zones out or daydreams,” exams can be torturous.
Any distraction – a random thought or a classmate tapping a pen – can ruin their focus. Re-focusing takes mental effort and energy, requires re-orientation, and takes time. This makes the whole process of tackling a question slower and more prone to mistakes.
Processing speed – the accelerator pedal
Some bright kids just take longer to get things done. It’s not about their intelligence, it’s their processing speed – how quickly the brain can take in new information, make sense of it, and respond. In an exam situation with a time limit, slower processing speed creates immense pressure on the student.
The student may 100% understand the question, but if they have slower processing speed, it just takes them longer to get there. Now, they have less time to think of a response and write it down; which leads to a rushed, superficial answer which doesn’t truly reflect their knowledge of the subject.
Sonic can help build cognitive processes
The point is that reading itself is not always the issue. It’s often the cognitive processes that need strengthening – a bit like how treadmill sessions in the gym can help your fitness for your favourite sport.
Good news as well – like your physical fitness, cognitive skills are not fixed. They can be strengthened and improved with targeted training. Our cognitive training programs are designed to do just that, helping students enhance their memory, attention, and processing abilities. We’ve seen significant improvements in as little as 6 months, helping students unlock their potential in written tests.
It might be time to look beyond more reading practice. Training those core skills of memory, attention and processing speed could be the answer to your child’s struggles with written tests.
If this resonates with you, feel free to get in touch to discuss this further. Book a free professional consult to discuss how our programs can help you.
Best wishes,
Claire
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