This text was first elaborated to be presented as a discussion subject on educational techniques at the 12th International Symposium on "Revision of Natural Sciences", held in Moscow in April 2001, on the kind invitation of Nikolaj J. Bakumtsev, distinguished presi-dent of the International Intellectual Fund and organizer of the Symposium. But it quickly appeared desirable that it be published for it to become available to all who are interested in the conditions leading to the awakening of intelligence in young children (teachers, students in the educational sciences or neurophysiology, etc.).
Its interest for the educational community lies in its numerous references to little publicized experimental research endeavors that confirm the importance of early learning and mastery of all verbal abilities, particularly the reading skill, which, by its very nature, is bound to favor the concurrent mastery of all of the other aspects of verbal development.
Despite an acute awareness in these circles for the need to awaken the ability to think and express thought coherently before the of 7 in all children, few seem to realize that such an awakening is precisely the consequence of mastering these abilities.
Indeed, contrary to popular belief, which is that the reading skill is only a simple skill to be mastered on the same level as geography or singing, very interesting research has shown that mastery of that skill in due time, and to a lesser extent, those of writing and arithmetic, has undeniable consequences on the structuration of the brain and on the development of the general understanding ability, that extend far beyond what is generally believed.
But, each time that the topic of early tutoring of the reading skill is broached, the classical objection is, of course, "Let them play, they have ample time!". But we will see as this exposé unfolds, that the time available for each child to efficiently master the verbal skills is not unlimited. In fact, biological reasons at the level of the construction of the brain will cause verbal skills that have not been mastered before the age of 7, to be more difficult to acquire afterwards.
In this regard, I wish to express my wholehearted gratitude to a precious collaborator whose friendly and useful remarks and suggestions have enriched this text and will have rendered it, we hope, interesting for all who care for the education of children.
His name is René Angel, a tireless promoter of early learning of reading skills, who let me benefit from his vast knowledge in this regard.
My unmitigated thanks also, to Mrs. Jeanine Cougnenc, renowned French pedagogue and field educator possessing a 38 years span of direct teaching to preschool and 1rst cycle of primary school in France, who let me have access to an important pool of documentation on her past writings, including some unpublished material, and has authorized me to reproduce some parts that were important for the integrity of this work.