School Roles
Principals and School executive can initiate Memory Mates at a whole school or year level. The Memory Mates program was initially developed for students in Years 3 and 4; however, the icons could be used flexibly for different class levels. For example, a Kindergarten class may use Switch On, Listen and Download.
School Counsellor / School Psychologist can support implementation at a classroom and school level. This can range from co-facilitating program delivery, adding psychological input about working memory, and targeting intervention for an individual student with low working memory and learning difficulties. A school counsellor/ school psychologist can also help in the collection of data.
Memory Mates is primarily designed to be delivered at a classroom level and therefore the classroom teacher plays a crucial role in implementation. The Teacher Booklet and Summary Handout has been designed for classroom teachers to deliver the Memory Mates intervention to the whole class.
Support Teachers can implement Memory Mates at a classroom, small group and individual level.
Parent / Caregiver can help students further consolidate their use of the Memory Mates strategies in home and community settings. This can include support for homework, sporting and extra-curricular activities, as well as general daily living skills. The Summary Handout can be provided to facilitate this process at home.
While the classroom teacher provides students with strategies, the student has ownership of their Memory Mates to use independently and apply to learning. Students are also encouraged to be self-reflective and, from observations often demonstrate meta-cognitive awareness of their own learning processes and wellbeing.
The greater the motivation and enthusiasm of the personnel involved in implementing Memory Mates intervention the more likely the learning and academic outcomes will be enhanced. This highlights the broader efficacy of working collaboratively.