Researchers have demonstrated that a person’s digit-span—the ability to memorize sequences of digits—can be improved with practice; as the person’s digit span increases, their cognitive functioning also increases.
Researcher Bob Doman conducted a study in 2002 to determine if it was possible to teach someone how to increase their digit span and to see what effects an increase of digit span had on the participants in the study.
The results, as noted by the Huffington Post, were extremely impressive:
“Within an eight-month time period, test scores (as measured by state mandated tests) increased at a level of approximately 2.9 years in reading recognition, 3.0 years in reading comprehension and 1.67 years in math computation. Make note: These children got no extra remedial work in reading or math, yet their test scores showed improvement far beyond a normal expectation of advancement from typical classroom learning. The finding suggests that when you increase digit span, you increase brain functionality on many other levels.”
The idea of digit spanning is not new to Doman; the researcher has been teaching people of all ages—including infants—how to increase their digit spans for thirty years.
As the writer in this article from the Huffington Post describes it, sequential processing—or digit span—is a foundation for many kinds of cognitive functions which range from tying shoelaces to playing an instrument to remembering the plot of a novel. The writer first met Doman when she took her daughter (who had been diagnosed with a learning disability) to see him to see if her daughter could increase her digit span. Her daughter excelled despite her prior diagnosis and is on the honor roll at her school.
There are programs which can help teach you how to improve your digit span, but there are other methods as well. (I’m uncertain as to how effective the other methods are, but since it only takes about ten minutes a day to try and improve your digit span, it’s probably worth a shot.) This site recommends using a deck of cards to practice with. The writer suggests trying to remember two cards—both the number and the suit-- and then recording your results on graph paper. The site suggests trying it again with different kinds of music.
While I’m not sure that the Ehow method will be all that effective, the iPad app Brain Baseline has several different tests to improve cognitive functioning; one of the tests works on the user’s digit span by slowly increasing the amount of digits in a series of numbers. The program offers several other tests on cognitive functioning, but there isn't a way to correlate whether or not any other improvements in cognitive functioning are based on an increased digit span.