“Defects in working memory — the brain’s temporary storage bin — may explain why one child cannot read her history book and another gets lost in algebra, new research suggests,” according to a Reuters story.

Working memory allows people to hold and manipulate a few items in their minds, such as a telephone number. For adults, the basic box size is thought to be three to five items.

“Since there is this limit, it is important to put in the right thing. Irrelevant information will clutter up working memory,” said Nelson Cowan, a cognitive psychologist at the University of Missouri.

The question many researchers are struggling with is how to help people with this problem, which appears to be closely tied with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.

There is a question as to whether working memory can be improved. But there can be ways to help children work around it, including learning to take notes.