Helping Kids Soar: Children Reaching Their Full Potential with Direct Instruction

Direct Instruction (DI) is often used to help students who are struggling academically.  DI can be used to accelerate the learning of higher performing students, too.  This 16-minute video, "Helping Kids Soar:  Children Reaching Their Full Potential with Direct Instruction," portrays two schools in different parts of the country that have used DI successfully with all children, including high performing students:  Emerson Elementary in Alliance, Nebraska and Fickett Elementary in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Both schools follow a similar formula for achieving success: 

• All teachers and instructional aides received initial training and ongoing support from the National Institute for Direct Instruction (NIFDI).
• Students are grouped homogeneously and placed at their skill level.
• Student performance data is reviewed weekly to determine the appropriateness of instruction for all students.
• Students are allowed to progress at a faster pace and cover advanced content as their performance indicates.

The video shows how a careful implementation of Direct Instruction with NIFDI support can help bring out the joy and wonder of reading as it prepares students for advanced content.

Watch the video below:

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