The feuerstein method
Instrumental Enrichment program
The Feuerstein Method differentiates itself from other programs with its ability to be adapted across content areas and social settings. It teaches its participants to think, learn and function better. These goals are achieved through a cognitive technique designed by Professor Reuven Feuerstein which views individuals as open systems who are modifiable through active mediation. The mediator guides individuals through the process of how to approach problems, how to be flexible and how to adapt to different situations. It identifies a human being’s learning profile, learning potential, and the specific cognitive processes necessary to maximize their potential.
Within Feuerstein’s Instrumental Enrichment Program (FIE), students are drawn into the dynamic process of learning how to learn and are guided to understand the practical application of their new skills they have gained through mediated, experiential cognitive tasks. The process is de-mystified and explained to the learners so that they become intrinsically motivated. Students are taught very specific skills, among them: how to attend to, organize, plan, and collect relevant information, compare, categorize, analyze and synthesize information, work efficiently in time and space, interpret instructions, and other underlying skills that support social-pragmatics, language, learning and cognition. Ultimately, children become more flexible and independent learners and thinkers. They learn how to apply the strategies and acquired skills to other aspects of life, including social, academic and adaptive functional skills needed to navigate “real-life”.
The Feuerstein Method has sound data supporting it. It is rooted in the Neuro-anatomical notion of neuroplasticity. This is the understanding that the human brain is modifiable, and that anyone is capable to vastly improve his or her intellectual capabilities through active learning experiences.
The Feuerstein Method is employed in a wide range of settings in more than 40 countries worldwide due to its adaptability and ease of use. Within the school setting, teachers and service providers are trained to employ the Method as part of their curriculum to enhance their students’ thinking skills and produce better thinkers and learners.
As one of the few certified Feuerstein mediators and trainers in the northeast, as well as an ADHD Coach and Speech-Language Pathologist of 25 years, Penina Fenig can offer clients a program that she knows will help them maximize their potential.
Penina Fenig welcomes the opportunity to share her expertise with the students and their families, as well as, enable staff to help students meet their potential. In an age of heightened competition and distractibility, the Feuerstein Method will be instrumental to their success.