Multiple digital illustrations of human brains with interconnected nodes and lines in a mesh pattern. The brains are repeated across the image with a large brain in the center, and the background transitions from purple at the top to white at the bottom.

MAPPIS

SCIENTIFIC FOUNDATION

Circular illustration with the words 'PEER TEST' around the border. Inside, icons include a magnifying glass, puzzle pieces, a maze, a brain, interconnected links, a cloud, rain, sun, and rainbow.

The MAPPIS framework was created to strengthen the key cognitive functions of childhood: Memory, Attention, Planning, Patterns, Imagination and Sequence.

This page presents scientific evidence from leading international research that confirms the importance of each of these pillars for healthy brain development.

More than a list of articles, this is a carefully selected set of studies showing how play, learning and daily interaction support the growth of complex mental abilities. These findings give solid support to the MAPPIS motto:

“The brain is a muscle, MAPPIS is the gym.”

Explore the six pillars to discover the main scientific insights and see how the LADEA and Calmie projects connect the latest advances in neuroscience with education and child development.

  • Research shows that early memory development begins with basic recognition of familiar stimuli and gradually evolves into complex episodic and working memory. Neural maturation in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex supports this transition. Working memory capacity strongly predicts later academic achievement because it allows children to hold and manipulate information while reasoning and solving problems. Consistent evidence indicates that enriched environments and repeated retrieval practices enhance both short term and long term memory, creating stronger neural connections that support lifelong learning.

  • Scientific studies demonstrate that attention in childhood is not a single skill but a network of alerting, orienting and executive control processes. The maturation of frontal and parietal regions enables children to focus selectively, sustain concentration and inhibit distractions. Strong attentional control is linked to better self regulation, language acquisition and academic performance. Training tasks that require children to monitor stimuli and flexibly shift focus strengthen these networks and improve readiness for complex learning.

  • Pattern recognition is a core mechanism for cognitive growth. Infants rapidly learn to categorize visual and auditory input, detecting regularities such as shapes, rhythms and language structures. This ability supports reasoning, problem solving and early mathematics by helping children extract rules from varied examples. Neuroscience findings show that the ventral visual stream and temporal association areas are critical for forming perceptual categories, and that early exposure to diverse patterns fosters flexible thinking and generalization.

  • Planning relies on executive functions such as goal setting, sequencing actions and anticipating consequences. During childhood the prefrontal cortex undergoes significant structural and functional growth, enabling children to coordinate thoughts and behaviors toward a desired outcome. Strong planning skills predict success in complex tasks including mathematics and reading comprehension. Evidence shows that guided play, strategy games and tasks like the Tower of Hanoi improve the ability to plan, monitor progress and adjust actions when challenges arise.

  • Imagination and pretend play create a powerful arena for cognitive and social development. Research demonstrates that when children invent scenarios and explore symbolic roles they strengthen creativity, problem solving and flexible thinking. Imaginative play also supports emotional regulation and empathy by allowing children to experiment with different perspectives. Neuroscience studies highlight the role of the default mode network in combining memory, emotion and abstract thought, showing that imaginative activity helps build neural circuits for future creativity and innovation.

  • Sequencing skills involve understanding temporal order and organizing actions or ideas into logical steps. These abilities are essential for language development, narrative comprehension and mathematics. Studies show that growth in working memory and executive control allows children to arrange events, predict outcomes and follow multi step instructions. Brain imaging points to coordinated activity in prefrontal and parietal regions as children learn to manage ordered information. Strengthening sequencing skills supports academic performance and complex reasoning.

Wireframe digital illustration of a human brain in a side view, made of interconnected lines and nodes in gold color, with a colorful background.
A digital wireframe illustration of a mushroom with a detailed cap and stem, with a blue background on the right side.

Academic Sources

Memory Studies:

Bauer, P. J. (2007). The cognitive development of memory in infancy and early childhood. In L. M. Oakes & P. J. Bauer (Eds.), Short- and long-term memory in early development (pp. 1–31). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-012370603-6/50004-7
Shows how memory progresses from simple recognition to complex episodic recall in early childhood, supporting the MAPPIS focus on building both short-term and long-term memory skills.

Alloway, T. P., & Alloway, R. G. (2010). Investigating the predictive roles of working memory and IQ in academic attainment. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 106(1), 20–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2009.11.003
Demonstrates that working memory predicts academic achievement beyond IQ, highlighting the need for MAPPIS activities that strengthen working memory capacity.

Ghetti, S., & Bunge, S. A. (2012). Neural changes underlying the development of episodic memory during middle childhood. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 2(4), 381–395. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2011.07.006
Links maturation of the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex to improved episodic memory, aligning with MAPPIS goals of fostering memory through enriched experiences.

Attention Studies:

Rueda, M. R., Posner, M. I., & Rothbart, M. K. (2005). The development of executive attention: Contributions to the emergence of self-regulation. Developmental Neuropsychology, 28(2), 573–594. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326942dn2602_2
Identifies executive attention networks as central to self-regulation, validating MAPPIS activities that require sustained and selective attention.

Stevens, C., & Bavelier, D. (2012). The role of selective attention on academic skills. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 16(4), 200–206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2012.06.003
Shows that strong selective attention underpins reading and math performance, supporting the MAPPIS emphasis on tasks that train focused observation.

Posner, M. I., & Rothbart, M. K. (2007). Research on attention networks as a model for the integration of psychological science. Annual Review of Psychology, 58, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.58.110405.085516
Explains the three core attention networks (alerting, orienting, executive), providing the theoretical backbone for MAPPIS attention-training strategies.

Pattern Studies:

Quinn, P. C., & Bhatt, R. S. (2005). Learning perceptual categories: Effects of category size and variability on infants’ category learning. Developmental Science, 8(2), 162–168. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-7687.2005.00430.x
Reveals how infants form categories from varied visual input, supporting MAPPIS activities that strengthen perceptual pattern detection.

Kaldy, Z., & Leslie, A. M. (2005). Recognition of visual patterns in infancy. Developmental Science, 8(2), 151–161. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-7687.2005.00431.x
Demonstrates that even young infants can recognize complex visual patterns, aligning with MAPPIS’s pattern-recognition exercises.

Marcus, G. F., Vijayan, S., Rao, S. B., & Vishton, P. M. (1999). Rule learning by seven-month-old infants. Science, 286(5440), 77–80. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.286.5440.77
Shows infants can learn abstract rules from auditory patterns, supporting MAPPIS strategies for early logical and rule-based reasoning.

Planing Studies:

Anderson, P. (2002). Assessment and development of executive function during childhood. Child Neuropsychology, 8(2), 71–82. https://doi.org/10.1076/chin.8.2.71.8724
Outlines how planning emerges as a key executive function as the prefrontal cortex matures, reinforcing the MAPPIS focus on goal-directed tasks.

Welsh, M. C., & Huizinga, M. (2001). The development and preliminary validation of the Tower of Hanoi–Revised. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 23(3), 394–406. https://doi.org/10.1076/jcen.23.3.394.1182
Shows that problem-solving games improve planning and self-monitoring skills, mirroring MAPPIS planning activities.

Best, J. R., Miller, P. H., & Naglieri, J. A. (2011). Relations between executive function and academic achievement from ages 5 to 17 in a large, representative national sample. Learning and Individual Differences, 21(4), 327–336. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2010.11.007
Links strong executive function and planning skills with higher academic outcomes, supporting MAPPIS interventions that target strategic thinking.

Diamond, A. (2013). Executive functions. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 135–168. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143750
Integrates findings across memory, attention, and planning, providing a comprehensive theoretical foundation for the entire MAPPIS framework.

Imagination Studies:

Singer, D. G., & Singer, J. L. (2005). Imagination and play in the electronic age. Harvard University Press. https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674015237
Demonstrates that pretend play fosters creativity and complex cognitive skills, core aims of the MAPPIS imagination pillar.

Runco, M. A. (2004). Creativity. Annual Review of Psychology, 55, 657–687. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.55.090902.141502
Shows that creativity is linked to flexible thinking and problem solving, validating MAPPIS’s use of imaginative tasks.

Lillard, A. S., et al. (2013). The impact of pretend play on children’s development: A review of the evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 139(1), 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0031758
Provides robust evidence that pretend play supports language, self-regulation, and cognitive growth, directly underpinning the MAPPIS imagination activities.

Sequence Studies:

Bull, R., & Scerif, G. (2001). Executive functioning as a predictor of children's mathematics ability: Inhibition, switching, and working memory. Developmental Neuropsychology, 19(3), 273–293. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15326942DN1501_4
Shows that sequencing and executive functions predict math ability, supporting MAPPIS tasks that develop temporal ordering.

Schwartze, M., & Kotz, S. A. (2013). A dual-pathway neural architecture for temporal prediction. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7, 671. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00671
Identifies neural pathways for temporal prediction, linking sequencing to brain mechanisms of timing and order.

Bishop, D. V. M. (2006). Sequencing and language disorders in children. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 47(6), 593–602. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2006.01654.x
Connects sequencing difficulties to language disorders, highlighting the importance of MAPPIS sequencing tasks for language development.

Cross-Cutting Foundations:

Kolb, B., & Gibb, R. (2011). Brain plasticity and behaviour in the developing brain. Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 20(4), 265–276.
Shows that enriched experiences reshape neural connections, supporting the MAPPIS principle that the brain functions like a muscle that strengthens through practice.

Fisher, K. R., et al. (2011). The power of play: A research summary on play and learning. Minnesota Children’s Museum. https://www.mnchildrensmuseum.org/sites/default/files/The_Power_of_Play_Research_Summary.pdf
Summarizes evidence that play promotes cognitive, social, and emotional development, reinforcing the playful learning strategies of MAPPIS.

Ginsburg, K. R. (2007). The importance of play in promoting healthy child development and maintaining strong parent-child bonds. Pediatrics, 119(1), 182–191. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2006-2697
Pediatrics policy statement that synthesizes decades of research showing how free play supports cognitive growth, stress regulation and family relationships. Strengthens the argument that playful learning is essential for healthy development.

Pellegrini, A. D., & Smith, P. K. (1998). Physical activity play: The nature and function of a neglected aspect of play. Child Development, 69(3), 577–598. https://doi.org/10.2307/1132207
Examines how physical and rough-and-tumble play contribute to social competence and problem-solving skills, providing evidence for including active play in MAPPIS-inspired activities.

Discovery Learning:

Piaget, J. (1973). To Understand Is to Invent: The Future of Education. New York: Grossman.
Presents the foundational constructivist idea that children build knowledge through active exploration and discovery rather than through direct instruction.

Bruner, J. S. (1961). The act of discovery. Harvard Educational Review, 31(1), 21–32. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.31.1.13j0hr94302p1187
Introduces the concept of discovery learning and argues that when learners find solutions on their own they develop deeper conceptual understanding.

Montessori, M. (1967). The Absorbent Mind. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
Describes how carefully prepared environments enable children to learn independently through self-directed activity, highlighting the value of spontaneous exploration.

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior. New York: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-2271-7
Explains how intrinsic motivation drives children to explore and learn without external instruction, laying the theoretical foundation for self-directed learning.

Hmelo-Silver, C. E., Duncan, R. G., & Chinn, C. A. (2007). Scaffolding and achievement in problem-based and inquiry learning: A response to Kirschner, Sweller, and Clark (2006). Educational Psychologist, 42(2), 99–107. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520701263368
Reviews evidence that well-designed inquiry-based learning environments allow students to construct knowledge through exploration, even with minimal direct teaching.

Hirsh-Pasek, K., Zosh, J. M., Golinkoff, R. M., Gray, J. H., Robb, M. B., & Kaufman, J. (2015). Putting education in “educational” apps: Lessons from the science of learning. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 16(1), 3–34. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100615569721
Highlights how playful, child-driven experiences support learning when children actively figure things out on their own.

Cross-cutting neurodevelopment

Kolb, B., & Gibb, R. (2011). Brain plasticity and behaviour in the developing brain. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 53(Suppl. 4), 4–8. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8749.2010.03605.x
Summarizes evidence that the developing brain can reorganize itself in response to enriched experiences and learning opportunities, supporting the idea that repeated practice and playful exploration strengthen and reshape neural networks.

Greenough, W. T., Black, J. E., & Wallace, C. S. (1987). Experience and brain development. Child Development, 58(3), 539–559. https://doi.org/10.2307/1130197
A classic review demonstrating that environmental complexity and enriched experiences produce measurable structural changes in the developing brain, reinforcing the MAPPIS concept that varied stimulation strengthens cognitive functions across domains.

Shonkoff, J. P., & Phillips, D. A. (Eds.). (2000). From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/9824
A landmark interdisciplinary report showing how early relationships, stimulation and environment interact with genetics to build the brain’s architecture, providing broad scientific evidence for the long-term impact of early experiences on cognitive and emotional development.