5 Ways Slow Processing Speed Impacts Learning
Processing speed is a critical cognitive skill that determines how quickly and efficiently your brain is able to take in and manipulate information. Slow processing speed has a direct impact on every single other tool your brain uses to think, learn, and remember.
Other skills like attention, logic & reasoning, memory, auditory processing, and visual processing rely on a certain base speed to complete their cognitive tasks. If processing speed is low, all the other areas will be impacted as well.
There are lots of different ways this can look. Here are 5 of the most common results of slow processing speed for everyday learning.
5 Effects of Slow Processing Speed for Learning
#1: Students may consistently miss vital information while listening in a classroom.
Does your child continually mis-hear assignments, say the teacher goes “too fast,” or constantly feel behind? If so, their slow processing speed may be causing some mental hiccups that prevent them from staying on task.
For older kids, struggles with note-taking and self-guided study can also come into play. Their brains simply struggle to process information fast enough to know what to write down or what to do next.
#2: Learners may take a long time to complete tests or homework, resulting in frustration, shame, or feeling like they’re missing out.
Many kids with slow processing speed know they have it. They know it takes them longer than their peers to finish tests and assignments, and they are embarrassed or frustrated by the fact that they are “slow.”
Sometimes this can even lead to kids putting forth less effort in order to just not be the last one to finish. While it may be easy to place a label on a student in this situation, sometimes just increasing processing speed will allow them to also focus, remember, reason, and read more quickly.
#3: Individuals with slow processing speed struggle to keep up with verbal and non-verbal communication both from adults and peers.
If your child often needs things repeated or misses out on social cues from adults or peers, their processing speed may be low. Human interactions are a constant influx of stimuli for the brain. You have to register what they’re saying, how they’re saying it, what their body is doing, and how you should respond.
For individuals with slow processing speed, they may miss out on one or more of these facets, making relationships harder for them.
#4: Students have trouble applying new information to their lives or reasoning through a question to come up with a solution.
In order for new information to be meaningful, learners have to have some personal investment. Low processing speed can make this process much harder.
Reasoning through a situation, self-application, and problem solving are all complex activities that require MANY parts of the brain to communicate efficiently. Slow processing speed makes this more difficult, leading to increased frustration and apathy in many students.
#5: Students struggle with reading comprehension.
Thinking quickly while reading is a vital tool for reading comprehension. Not only does your brain have to quickly take in what the word says, it has to apply meaning and build a visual image to help you comprehend it.
For many students with low processing speed, there are disconnects in all of these areas, from reading fluency and decoding words to reading comprehension and retention.
How Do You Increase Processing Speed?
Encouraging your kids to think faster is not always easy. The best way to do it is with speed-based games at home or targeted skill strengthening with brain training.
Click here for some of our favorite brain-boosting family game night picks! >>
Targeted brain training with LearningRx is the easiest and best way to target weak cognitive skills to make learning faster and easier across the board for your struggling student. While low processing speed may be an underlying weakness, there are likely accompanying struggles that are keeping your child back from being as successful as possible.
We can work with you to create a plan to help with thinking faster, remembering more easily, reading more fluidly, improving in math, and so much more so school is not such a struggle for your family.
