Feuerstein’s New Program for the Facilitation of Cognitive Development in Young Children

Abstract

The authors make the case for the inclusion of cognitive enrichment programs in early mainstream education that should be designed to eliminate the early discrepancies in children’s cognitive abilities and prevent later learning disabilities and achievement gaps. Following a review of the literature on existing early cognitive enrichment programs and their effects with cognitive impaired children and children with special needs, the authors present the theoretical and programmatic features of Feuerstein’s 3-year basic program, along with a brief description of its different modules. The authors also provide a summary of all the available evidence of the program’s effectiveness, including the results of 3 evaluation studies of pilot projects in the United States. The article culminates in an appeal for rigorous research on the feasibility and effects of programs in mainstream education for early cognitive enrichment and prevention of learning problems, including research on the effects of Feuerstein’s Instrumental Enrichment–Basic (FIE-B) program.