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DI Scripts
Because nearly every child, if given the chance,
is able to learn—and to learn well.
Direct Instruction (DI)
Precision Teaching (PT)
Other Things
Unfortunately, many teachers protest at having to use scripted lessons, failing to realize that they are saved a lot of work in preparing “lesson plans.” Teachers are not trained to be experts at curriculum design, and have no means for testing the effectiveness, over a large number of children in a variety of schools, of any curriculum they use. Those who protest the utility of scripts give this little consideration.
In teaching beginning reading the principal method is “lead, model, test.” The teacher, while pointing to a letter or word to be learned which is written on the page of her demonstration book, held so that all the children can see the page, says the letter or word. Then everyone, on cue, says the same thing. Then the students again say it, on cue, without the teacher, who watches the children to make sure that they are all saying the same thing. These are “choral responses,” designed to save instructional time by using a group response.
Some individual children will be asked to repeat a word or sentence if there is doubt as to what they said. This routine is maybe repeated a time or two or three, and then, after a quick word of praise, the teacher moves swiftly on to the next letter or word to be learned. In short order the children have learned enough letters and words to read sentences, without guessing what the words are or needing a picture to provide clues to the meaning.
Because students taught together must be observed together in their choral responses, this method limits a group of students to about eight at a time. If you have only one learner to teach (and this can be done with older illiterate adults, not just children), then there is only one person to watch, and the work of teaching goes swiftly.
Students should be grouped according to how fast they are learning the material, a determination that can change, requiring regrouping students from time-to-time. In a school setting, it is useful for reading lessons to take place at the same time, so that students who learn at different rates can be regrouped as their needs change. This is grouping by skill, not by “grade.”
This requires sufficient teacher aides in each classroom, so that more than one group can be taught in a class larger than eight students. If not, reading must be taught sequentially, one group at a time, with the other students doing “seat work,” using school jargon. This means, basically, that those doing “seat work” are not being actively instructed at that time. However, computers practice for these students should be considered.
Because of personnel needs, using DI in a new school environment can be limited by budgetary constraints. However, if money were made available to implement DI properly in early years of schooling, larger classes of competent readers could be supported in later school years, without the high failure rates now being experienced.
The highest failure rates occur in K-3. This is precisely where success should be ensured, and efforts redoubled, by teaching with the best available means, those that can be used in the future. Fourth grade children, who have been properly prepared in the three Rs, that is, reading, writing and arithmetic, have greatly reduced academic trouble thereafter, reducing remediation costs.
See: The Dalmatian and Its Spots: Why Research-based Recommendations Fail Logic 101, posted at http://zigsite.com.
Using highly effective curricula and solid instructional methods allows for earlier detection of children with a greater need for special education services. Early detection and remediation help to prevent student frustration and a better outcome for all. Currently, most special education recipients are not identified until third or fourth grade, and sometimes even later. By then the cause may be simply a matter of having been poorly taught. Those needing help are often lost in the shuffle, rather than being identified correctly when their needs are detectable.
This requires sufficient teacher aides in each classroom, so that more than one group can be taught in a class larger than eight students. If not, reading must be taught sequentially, one group at a time, with the other students doing “seat work,” using school jargon. This means, basically, that those doing “seat work” are not being actively instructed at that time. However, computers practice for these students should be considered.
Because of personnel needs, using DI in a new school environment can be limited by budgetary constraints. However, if money were made available to implement DI properly in early years of schooling, larger classes of competent readers could be supported in later school years, without the high failure rates now being experienced.
The highest failure rates occur in K-3. This is precisely where success should be ensured, and efforts redoubled, by teaching with the best available means, those that can be used in the future. Fourth grade children, who have been properly prepared in the three Rs, that is, reading, writing and arithmetic, have greatly reduced academic trouble thereafter, reducing remediation costs.
See: The Dalmatian and Its Spots: Why Research-based Recommendations Fail Logic 101, posted at http://zigsite.com.
Using highly effective curricula and solid instructional methods allows for earlier detection of children with a greater need for special education services. Early detection and remediation help to prevent student frustration and a better outcome for all. Currently, most special education recipients are not identified until third or fourth grade, and sometimes even later. By then the cause may be simply a matter of having been poorly taught. Those needing help are often lost in the shuffle, rather than being identified correctly when their needs are detectable.