The key for that to happen successfully is human mediation.

This idea is based on the theory of Reuven Feuerstein, a psychologist who was working with children arriving as immigrants in Israel from North African communities in the 1950s.

To determine their school placement, the children were subjected to a series of assessments, including I.Q. tests.

During the assessments, Feuerstein noticed that while some children learned a new task very easily, others didn't.

Under closer examination, he realized that the first group was raised in environments that favored the transmission of local culture from generation to generation. In other words, their minds had received an adequate amount of mediated learning experience.

The second group was deprived of their original culture and didn't experience such natural learning.

Feuerstein then developed his method and began to distinguish two types of learning — direct and indirect. Children who only experience direct learning may never reach their full potential; kids who also learn indirectly can.

To help the children who were deprived of indirect learning experiences, mediation comes in.

The mediator curates the learning journey, select meaningful materials, sparks the child's curiosity and provides comfort and feedback.

Gradually, the child then internalizes this guided experience and becomes capable of self-mediation that enhances the direct learning.

In other terms, mediation strengthens the cognitive modifiability and as a result, the child will learn more effectively which is the essence of intelligence.

Based on these findings, Feuerstein developed a dynamic assessment of our cognitive process and a program of cognitive intervention.

The dynamic assessment focuses on measuring someone's learning potential based on the progress they have made as a result of mediation.

The cognitive intervention program provides children and adults with books, tools and materials that enhance their problem-solving skills. This method is also known as instrumental enrichment.

Feuerstein continued to work with hundreds of children, and was able to document dramatic improvements in the ability among those who received intensive mediation of cognitive strategies.

Even children who were considered unteachable, eventually made it to mainstream schools or universities.

Today, tens of thousands have been taught using Reuven Feuerstein's methods.

For educators, he left the following advice, "If you are not prepared to look at your people's strengths, don't touch their weaknesses."

What are your thoughts? Do you agree that anyone can increase their intelligence and become a better learner?

To learn more about the method, visit our website or reach out to the people from the Feuerstein Institute, which continues the work of its founder to this day.

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