Direct Instruction (DI) is a model of teaching based on the work of Zig Engelmann. Examples and sequences provide students with clear information and opportunity to learn.
The content is usually organized around "big ideas" so that learning can be accelerated and efficient. In a typical lesson, you will see teacher led instruction with rapid pacing, and frequent responses. The teacher follows a very detailed lesson plan with over 30 years in development and testing. Every Direct Instruction program has been tested, retested, and undergone multiple revisions in an attempt to make the communication as perfect as possible.
Engelmann maintains that if a child doesn't learn, the teacher hasn't taught and that an individual is capable of learning anything we are capable of teaching. DR LEARNING embraces these ideas and uses Direct Instruction programs and principles exclusively for elementary-aged students.
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A doctoral dissertation by Dorothy Ross produced the following information:
Thirty students registered in grade eight in two middle schools in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia received instruction for four months. The Direct Instruction intervention program used was Corrective Reading (Decoding). Instruction began in the second month of the grade eight year.
Students would normally be expected to read at a grade 8.2 level. This particular group of students read at a grade four level in decoding. After four months of instruction, the same students were performing at a grade nine level in decoding. The graph from this intervention became a symbol of the kind of improvement that is possible for students who lag behind in reading. While students will not always make such dramatic improvement as is illustrated here, it is clearly evident that good programs, faithfully implemented can systematically and predictably produce better than normal growth.
Scientific developments are based on carefully developed theory and rigorous empirical tests. The Direct Instruction approach to teaching exemplifies this tradition, with a strong theoretical base, the continual incorporation of research in program development, and hundreds of replications of research results. These results demonstrate the programs’ strong efficacy in varied settings and with different populations. For more in-depth discussion, please click here.
Project Follow Through was the most extensive educational experiment ever conducted. Read more details about the amazing results here:.
1931 - 2019