Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment (FIE) is a structured, comprehensive, cognitive intervention program that helps improve thinking and learning skills. FIE integrates, systematizes, and harmonizes within itself different approaches: cognitive, meta-cognitive and psychosocial. FIE is two-fold: a) to intervene for deficient cognition and metacognition, and b) to stimulate noncognitive components of learning through an educational relationship. The creator of the program, Reuven Feuerstein, believed that it was insufficient to solely focus on deficient thinking processes. Rather, it is also essential to create the conditions needed for a learner’s competence and confidence. In brief, FIE is a method to teach students how to learn.
FIE is appropriate for all ages, preschool through adults. Designed to enhance cognitive functions, it is particularly beneficial for individuals facing learning difficulties or cognitive challenges. By developing key skills such as perception, memory, attention, and problem-solving, this empowers
individuals to become independent, confident thinkers and effective problem solvers.
A recent study of older adults revealed that the Feuerstein program can lead to a localized increase in both cerebral grey and white matter, a finding that goes against expected age-related decline. Participants also experienced significant improvements in immediate verbal memory and delayed nonverbal memory. These results suggest the Feuerstein method is a powerful, non-
pharmacological tool for improving cognitive function and brain health in older adults.