Reuven Feuerstein facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Reuven Feuerstein
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| ראובן פוירשטין | |
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| Born | August 21, 1921 |
| Died | April 29, 2014 (aged 92) |
| Nationality | Romanian Israeli |
| Occupation | Psychologist |
Reuven Feuerstein (born August 21, 1921 – died April 29, 2014) was a famous psychologist. He was born in Romania and later became an Israeli citizen. He is best known for his idea that our intelligence is not set in stone. Instead, he believed that intelligence can grow and change.
Feuerstein created many important ideas and tools. These include how our thinking can change, how learning happens with help from others, and how to understand thinking patterns. He also developed special programs to help people learn better. These tools help teachers improve students' thinking skills. They also help students learn how to learn.
Feuerstein started and led the International Center for the Enhancement of Learning Potential (ICELP). This center is in Jerusalem, Israel. For over 50 years, his ideas have been used around the world. More than 80 countries have used his work in schools and clinics. His ideas about changing intelligence have led to many scientific studies.
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Reuven Feuerstein's Life Story
Reuven Feuerstein was one of nine children. He was born in Botoșani, Romania. He went to college in Bucharest from 1940 to 1944. Feuerstein had to leave Romania because of the Nazi invasion. He moved to Mandatory Palestine in 1945. There, he taught children who had survived the Holocaust. These children had gone through terrible times. He saw that they needed special help. This led him to work on helping refugee children with their learning and emotional needs.
Feuerstein later studied at the University of Geneva. He learned from famous thinkers like Jean Piaget. He earned degrees in psychology. At that time, there were three main ways of thinking about the mind. These were psychoanalysis, behaviorism, and Gestalt psychology. He also attended lectures by other important psychologists. In 1970, Feuerstein earned his PhD in developmental psychology. He got this degree from the University of Paris in France. He focused on how people grow, how their minds work, and how they think.
How Reuven Feuerstein Changed Learning
Feuerstein worked as the head of psychological services for Youth Aliyah in Europe. This group helped young Jewish people move to Israel. In the 1950s, he studied children from Morocco, who were Jewish and Berber. He worked with experts from Geneva. When these children arrived, they took IQ tests. Their scores were low. But Feuerstein noticed something important. Their scores got better when he talked to them and gave them more attention.
These improvements made Feuerstein wonder about intelligence. He questioned if intelligence was fixed. He asked, "What if intelligence could be taught?" This led him to create new ways to test and teach. These methods are now called dynamic assessment. He believed that extra help could make a big difference. Some children who were thought to be unable to learn later succeeded in regular schools. This time helped him form his ideas. He saw that children who struggled could still change and learn.
Feuerstein became interested in this because new immigrant students had trouble learning. He saw them as "culturally deprived." He described children who had good learning experiences in their first culture. These children were "culturally different." They could adapt well to a new culture. But "culturally deprived" children had not received enough good learning experiences. They showed less learning potential.
Feuerstein's ideas are similar to those of Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky. Vygotsky believed that children learn through tools from their culture. Feuerstein added to this idea with his theory of Mediated Learning Experience (MLE). He said that another person, a "mediator," is very important. This mediator helps the child develop skills needed for learning. According to Feuerstein, all learning is either direct or mediated. Learning with a human mediator is key for children. The mediator helps them get ready for effective direct learning.
The main idea of MLE is called structural cognitive modifiability (SCM). This explains how weak thinking skills can be changed. Feuerstein believed that a person's ability to learn is not just from their genes. He said that thinking skills improve through mediation. SCM means making deep changes in how a person thinks.
Unlike earlier psychologists like Piaget, Feuerstein focused on all children. He looked at both typical learners and those who struggled. Piaget thought children learned by doing things and solving problems. Feuerstein showed that a mediated relationship is key for all children. This is especially true for young children and those with learning difficulties.
How a Cognitive Map Helps Learning
Another tool Feuerstein used is the cognitive map. This helps understand how a person thinks when doing a task. It looks at different parts of a mental action. This helps to find specific problem areas. It also helps change how a person thinks. This map is very useful when a teacher or examiner works with a student. It helps them understand why a student might be struggling.
The FIE Standard Program
The FIE Standard program helps fix problems in basic thinking skills. It gives students ideas, skills, and ways to learn on their own. It also helps them want to learn more and understand their own thinking. The tasks in the program are not about specific school subjects. This means the skills learned can be used in all school subjects and in everyday life.
The FIE program has been used successfully around the world. It helps in many ways:
- It helps children with special needs.
- It helps people who have had brain injuries or mental health issues.
- It helps immigrant students and those from different cultures.
- It helps all students, including those who struggle or are very smart.
- It helps adults in jobs, the military, and businesses.
Many studies show how well this method works. It has helped engineers at Motorola and students in Brazil. It has also helped deaf immigrants from Ethiopia. Children with Autism and Down syndrome in Jerusalem have also benefited. High school math students and weak readers have also improved. The FIE program is one of the most studied learning programs. It has helped people with disabilities, typical learners, and gifted students. It helps people of all ages, not just students.
The FIE-BASIC Program
In 2000, Feuerstein added FIE-BASIC. This program helps prevent learning problems in younger children (ages 3 to 8). It also helps older children who are struggling. Feuerstein believed that early help can prevent learning issues. This is also supported by new brain research. The program focuses on teaching important skills. These skills turn into ideas that help with future learning. It teaches children how to think.
The FIE-BASIC program has 7 parts. It can be taught over 2 to 4 years. This depends on what the child needs. Each part focuses on thinking skills needed for school. These skills are especially important for reading and math. It can be used in a classroom, with small groups, or one-on-one. FIE-BASIC can also prepare students for the FIE-Standard program. This helps them reach higher levels of thinking.
Projects in Alaska, Michigan, Israel, Britain, Italy, India, and Japan use FIE-BASIC. They use it with young children and students with special needs. It helps avoid labeling students as having learning disabilities too early.
What People Said About Feuerstein
In 1976, a journal called The Record wrote about Feuerstein's work. It said his project was "exciting" and "highly imaginative." It showed that "intervention – even in adolescents – is not too late."
NICHD Scientists Prediction – "The program (Instrumental Enrichment) holds great promise for improving learning skills of millions of mildly retarded, culturally disadvantaged adolescents in our school systems and for the more precise identification and placement of children based upon what they can learn rather than what have learned." (From N.I.H. Record, September 21, 1976)
Howard Gardner, Harvard Graduate School of Education – "Reuven Feuerstein is one of a handful of educational thinkers and practitioners who has made a significant, lasting contribution to our understanding of human learning."
John D. Bransford, University of Washington, College of Education – "A highly innovative and immensely hope-inspiring work."
Awards and Recognition
- 1986, Detroit Public Schools, Special Commendation
- 1990, Médaille d'Or of Aix-les-Bains, France
- 1990, Médaille d'Or of Nevers, France
- 1991, Variety Clubs International Humanitarian Award, Vancouver, Canada
- 1991, Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Palmes Académiques, France
- 1991, Yakir Yerushalaim (Distinguished Citizen of Jerusalem)
- 1992, New York Academy of Sciences
- 1992, Israel Prize, for social sciences.
- 1997, Honor al estudio y la investigacion en el campo de la formación professional. National Organization for Professional Training. Valencia, Spain.
- 1997, Special Resolution of Commendation, Assembly, State of California, USA
- 1998, Miembro de honor; Universidad Diego Portales, Chile
- 1999, Doctorate Honoris Causa, University of Turin, Italy
- 2009, Doctorate Honoris Causa, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
See also
In Spanish: Reuven Feuerstein para niños
- List of Israel Prize recipients
