Teaching Direct Instruction (DI) can be very demanding, especially in the early levels of the programs. In order to be effective, teachers must be able to:
Melding these elements together for every lesson is difficult and initially requires daily practice. Teachers can practice reading the script out loud on their own and can practice correcting different errors with a partner. Practicing reading and correcting errors for the next day's lesson just 10 to 15 minutes per day pays huge dividends in student learning.
In addition to the routine daily practice, some exercises that address specific skills require special attention. Group in-service sessions are the best way to practice these targeted exercises and other potential problem areas that are critical to teaching DI effectively. In-service sessions cover such topics as:
IMPORTANT: Many teachers who haven't used DI before may be under the impression that teaching DI is a simple affair. After all, the script provides the precise wording to say, the specific examples to present, and the types of corrections to make. What could be easier? The reality is that teaching DI is not easy. To be effective, teachers must be able to respond quickly and positively to students' answers, which can’t be done if the teachers' eyes are fixed on the script. Teachers' eyes and attention must be directed toward the students. Teachers' presentations must be fluid and flawless, which requires that teachers practice the presentations before working with students.
Implementing the comprehensive Direct Instruction (DI) model effectively requires a sufficient number of teaching personnel trained in the DI methodology, and administrators who can ensure a successful implementation. The number of teachers needed for instruction depends on the number of children that place into each level of the DI programs. The first two levels of the Reading Mastery program require small group instruction with the following number of students per group:
Lower performers 4-6 students per group
Middle performers 8-10 students per group
High performers 10-12 students per group
These ratios ensure that teachers can hear and react to student responses. Lower-performing students require smaller student/teacher ratios because they are apt to make more errors and need additional practice in comparison to higher performing students. Similar ratios are required in the first two levels of the Corrective Reading program:
Level A no more than 12 students per group
Level B1 15 or less is optimal, but larger groups can be accommodated
Instruction takes place in large groups (up to 35 students grouped homogeneously) once students reach the third level of Reading Mastery or Corrective Reading.
A teacher and paraprofessional are needed in each room in elementary schools implementing a 90-minute reading block in the morning with three instructional groups per room. The teacher teaches reading for 30 minutes to a group while the paraprofessional teaches language to a 2nd group and a 3rd group works on their "take home" assignment independently. The groups rotate after 30 minutes. At the end of a 90-minute period, each instructional group has received a dose of reading, a dose of language and 30 minutes of independent work. The same rotation occurs in the afternoon for 20 minutes a group. Additionally, administrators need to plan for an additional 60-minute reading block for all students in Kindergarten and first grade and students in grades two and above who are below grade level expectations. If the school is also implementing Direct Instruction mathematics, staffing for a 60-minute block dedicated to math will be necessary. (See Scheduling Sufficient Instructional Time.)
Schools also need a full-time, on-site (building) coordinator in each school employed by the district to facilitate the implementation. The coordinator manages day-to-day aspects of the DI implementation, such as collecting and examining data forms submitted by teachers. In addition, the coordinator acts as the lead coach with teaching responsibilities for at least the first year. The coordinator and peer coaches receive advanced training in three stages over the course of three years. (See the pdf Job Description for an Experienced Building Coordinator .)
Schools also benefit if they have access to substitute teachers who have been trained in the programs. Students can continue to advance in the programs if the school employs substitutes who are able to teach the specific DI programs effectively.
IMPORTANT: When students learn something incorrectly, it takes a great deal of effort for students to re-learn the material correctly. In many cases, students require dozens or even hundreds of correct exposures to a skill or concept if they have mislearned the skill or concept initially. This type of re-teaching can be time consuming and difficult as students’ motivation to re-learn skills or concepts may be low. Schools can avoid the difficulties of re-teaching by ensuring that students are placed appropriately in the DI programs and taught to mastery daily in homogenously grouped instructional groups. Small-sized groups in the lower levels of the DI programs allow teachers to focus on student responses and correct student errors early before they can develop into misrules. Small-sized groups are possible only if schools have a sufficient number of trained teaching personnel available to teach every day. Trained substitute teachers can continue the teaching when regular classroom teachers or paraprofessionals are absent.
See the following for more information on personnel deployment:
pdf
Scheduling Guidelines
pdf
Sample Schedules: Kindergarten through 4th Grade
pdf
Job Description for an Experienced Building Coordinator
pdf
Middle School Scheduling Guidelines
pdf
Sample Middle School Schedule
To get the most out of the Direct Instruction (DI) programs, schools should avoid using any other instructional or supplemental program in the same subject area as the DI programs in use in the school. The amount of time for instruction in each subject is limited, especially when second reading periods are included in the schedule. (See Scheduling Sufficient Instructional Time.) Any programs that inhibit the scheduling of sufficient time for DI programs should be removed.
Schools should also avoid using other instructional or supplemental programs in the same subject area as the DI programs because they may be confusing to students. The DI programs teach explicit strategies. In the first level of the reading program, for instance, some of these strategies include the use of the "sounds" that letters make instead of letter names, "sounding out" words and then "saying them fast". A program that refers to letter names and prompts students to use context clues (such as looking at pictures) would have the potential to confuse children who were receiving DI reading. Young students and students from highly at-risk backgrounds in particular can get confused by multiple instructional approaches. These students need instruction using consistent, effective strategies.
If another program is used for extra practice, it may be ok to use. If another program is used for instruction, it will probably not be ok to use. Other programs or materials may be used for practice as long as:
1) use of the materials doesn't take time away from DI,
2) the materials aren't used to teach concepts or skills, and
3) students can perform at 100% mastery on the materials independently.
If the students cannot perform perfectly on the materials independently, then they will need instruction in the materials, which will detract from their progress in DI. If students are given books that are too difficult for them to understand, reading them may become punishing to students, which can undermine their motivation to learn. Students should be given books they can decode with minimal help so they feel good about themselves and are eager to read more.
An exception to the above guidelines is test preparation for high stakes tests. NIFDI supplies schools with materials that familiarize students with the format of standardized tests that they will encounter. This type of test preparation should be restricted to only a few hours per week for a month and a half at most before the administration of the tests.
IMPORTANT: The practice of using two or more instructional programs with children is widespread, but it can have negative implications for student progress and teacher performance. Not only can a second (or third) instructional program confuse children because of the different instructional approaches, it can also confuse teachers. A second program requires teachers to learn two different programs, two different instructional approaches and two different assessments. Teachers must receive training in two different programs, and supervisors must monitor and provide support for the two programs. It may be difficult for teachers and supervisors to determine when and how a second program should be used, especially when the two programs are not designed to be taught together. DI programs contain all of the components that teachers and students need to be successful, and the DI programs have provisions for working with students representing the full range of learners. Any diversion from the DI programs will lead to less spectacular results than a full, undiluted, comprehensive DI implementation.
For more on using DI as a single instructional program, see:
One of the most important prerequisites for implementing the comprehensive Direct Instruction (DI) model successfully with all children is to provide sufficient instructional time for each instructional group. Student success depends on the rate at which students master material presented in the DI programs. The schedule should include enough time for students to make adequate progress at mastery through the programs and allow teachers to accelerate higher performing students or provide additional practice to students having problems mastering concepts or skills.
Specifically, schedules should include the following:
Having a schedule with sufficient instructional time is the first step. The second step is implementing the schedule so that precious minutes are not lost. It is critical that all staff understand that “every second counts.” Time lost in transition or simply starting late results in time not available for students to master the material.
*Implementing a schedule with sufficient instructional time results in students completing one reading level per year at the minimum. To be at benchmark, students must complete the Reading Mastery Signature Edition level designated for their grade. For example, second grade children need to complete the grade 2 RM Signature level. Fourth grade children need to complete the grade 4 RM Signature level. Many continuing students will exceed these minimum benchmarks.
Note that students who receive two reading periods a day will learn a great deal of science and social studies information. Science and social studies concepts are systematically pre-taught in the upper levels of the Reading Mastery program, integrated into the stories and then reviewed to ensure students’ retention of the material. Some schools have used no other science program, and their students have performed outstandingly on tests of their scientific knowledge.
CAUTION: Teachers cannot guarantee student success if students do not spend a sufficient amount of time in the DI programs. This is especially true for younger children who are in the early stages of formal learning. Young students have fewer problems when practice occurs twice a day instead of once every 24 hours. Two reading periods a day is particularly helpful for highly at-risk students who have less background information and less academic experience than their more affluent peers.
See the following for more information on scheduling:
pdf
Scheduling Guidelines
pdf
Sample Schedules: Kindergarten through 4th Grade
pdf
Job Description for an Experienced Building Coordinator
pdf
Middle School Scheduling Guidelines
pdf
Sample Middle School Schedule
