For young children, working memory can be affected by the experience of stress in the learning environment.  Too much stress produces too much cortisol and this saturates the receptors in the hippocampus which can make retrieval of information difficult.  

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The hippocampus is resilient, it bounces back given the right conditions, support, sleep, hydration, and nutrition.  The hippocampus function is calibrated by contextual stress.  Studies have shown that adults who are afraid of public speaking produce the same amount of cortisol as a person who is taking their first parachute jump.  Children who perceive math or working memory tasks as threatening have high biological reactivity to school-related challenges and their performance can decline.   Research has shown that the hippocampus returns to normal function by reducing the perception of threat and lowering cortisol levels.   Working memory and memory retrieval can improve if stress is the source of the memory problem.

Comprehensive assessment,  evidence-based strategies, and interventions are designed to create the optimal context to enhance memory, focus, and improve academic skill fluency.