Boost your students’ success! Attend NIFDI remote Direct Instruction program training!
Effective training is crucial to the successful implementation of Direct Instruction (DI) programs. The National Institute for Direct Instruction is the premier provider of DI professional development. Each year, we partner with thousands of instructors to build student success.
In these highly focused trainings, you will learn, practice, and receive feedback on the critical presentation skills needed to teach the programs. Click on the titles to sign up today! Spaces are limited.
Thursday, August 27 and Friday, August 28, 7:30 am-2:30 pm PT
Due to the amount of material covered in this training, it is divided over two days.
Learn to effectively implement Reading Mastery Signature Edition Grade K Reading, a beginning reading program for non-reading children. The RMSE Grade K program systematically teaches all the prerequisite skills children need to master the fundamentals of beginning literacy, including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Upon mastery of the skills taught in Grade K, children are ready to expand their reading skills to Grade 1 reading standards. Participants will learn the technical delivery skills needed to support children in developing these essential reading skills.
Corrective Reading Decoding 2027 Levels B1 & B2
Tuesday, August 25, 7:30 am-2:30 pm PT
The Corrective Reading program provides systematic reading instruction to students performing below grade-level expectations in grades 3 and above. Corrective Reading Decoding B1 refines word-attack skills by teaching sounds and sound combinations, introducing new vocabulary, and promoting word discrimination. There is a strong emphasis on fluency-building, as well as comprehension, through daily reading of decodable, connected text.
Corrective Reading Decoding B2 continues the instructional sequence of Level B1, focusing on student practice in word attack and spelling, vocabulary development, and daily reading of decodable, connected text. Practice for rate and accuracy, as well as charting daily fluency progress, are features that help students recognize their progress and increase their motivation to work hard to build reading skills and catch up to their grade-level peers. Students who place into Decoding B1 or B2 often have inconsistent reading skills and frequently guess at words, rather than applying decoding strategies that will lead to accurate word reading.
Friday, September 11, 7:30 am-2:30 pm PT
Learn to effectively implement Reading Mastery Signature Edition Grade 1 Reading, which is the second level of the Reading Mastery series. Participants will learn the technical delivery skills needed to support children as they learn and apply strategies for decoding difficult words, increase fluency in passage reading, and develop comprehension strategies. Participants will also learn how RMSE Grade 1 develops basic reasoning skills such as making inferences, drawing conclusions, and working independently.
Most Direct Instruction programs are published by McGraw-Hill Education. You can find more information about these programs by visiting our program webpages or by viewing the current catalog.
Sopris West and the University of Oregon Bookstore also publish several DI programs, including REWARDS and Understanding US History.
Only a select group of published instructional materials meet the rigorous standards for true DI programs according to the Rubric for Identifying Authentic Direct Instruction Programs. The
pdf
Program Reference Chart
lists all of the Authentic Direct Instruction programs and gives summary information about each one.
To help you select appropriate programs, NIFDI has created the document pdf Using Direct Instruction to Close Performance Gaps: A Guide to Published DI Programs . The guide provides key information on critical aspects of the programs as the number of lessons contained in each level of the program, grouping guidelines, timetabling/scheduling requirements, and links to the publishers. NIFDI has also created informative video overviews of Direct Instruction programs for literacy and math.
The National Institute for Direct Instruction has developed a DI Materials Cost Worksheet to assist administrators and other decision-makers in determining the costs of program materials. Constructed as a Microsoft Excel document, simply enter the quantities for each title and component into the worksheet, and the total estimated cost is automatically calculated at the bottom of the sheet. This document is updated regularly to reflect current pricing from the publisher, but users need to verify actual pricing from the publisher or through their sales representative. NIFDI does not sell programs directly and recommends this worksheet as a tool for estimating only.
The Worksheet has been updated with 2025 pricing. The following DI programs are included in the list:
Because the DI programs are oriented toward students’ skill proficiency rather than their age or grade level, it is critical that teachers use the level of the DI programs that correspond to their students’ current skill level. You can determine which level of the program matches your students’ current instructional needs by administering the placement tests contained in all DI programs.
One of the features of a successful implementation of Direct Instruction (DI) is a common, clear set of routines, procedures, and expectations for student behaviors. This includes passing in halls, transitions within the classroom, work-check procedures, and other expectations that make classrooms (and, therefore, a school) run smoothly and consistently. This one-day training will provide a framework for the development of these procedures and information on how to teach these procedures systematically to students. Monitoring student compliance and motivating students to cooperate will also be addressed.
Through extensive hands-on activities, participants gain sufficient information and practice with the strategies during the session, which provides them with a strong foundation for implementing the strategies effectively in their classrooms after attending the session. Each participant develops their own behavior management “prevention plan” for their classroom during the session. Coaches who attend the session are provided with a follow-up form specific to the training – a specialized observational tool that allows them to provide targeted support to participants after they complete the training.
The National Institute for Direct Instruction is proud to sponsor a podcast series. Hosted by educator and parent Dr. Zach Groshell, the series features interviews with trainers, authors, researchers, and others who give their insights on various aspects of DI. Each podcast runs just over an hour.
Episode 1: What is Direct Instruction?
Guests: Kurt Engelmann and Bryan Wickman
Episode 2: What Was Project Follow Through?
Guests: Linda Carnine, Susie Andrist, and Jerry Silbert
Episode 3: How Effective is Direct Instruction?
Guest: Jean Stockard
Episode 4: What is Direct Instruction Mathematics?
Guests: Marcy Stein and Bernadette Kelly
Episode 5: How Has DI Impacted Reading Proficiency in Indigenous Communities?
Guest: Casey Sovo
Episode 6: What are the components of an effective DI implementation?
Guest: Tamara Bressi
Episode 7: How Can Higher Education Better Prepare Future Educators?
Guest: Kathy Madigan
Episode 8: How Does Fluency and Direct Instruction Improve Literacy Outcomes?Guest: Dr. Jan Hasbrouck
Episode 9: How Does Direct Instruction Support Special Education?Guests: Randi Saulter and Ann Baum
Episode 10: How Do Direct Instruction and Behavior Work Hand-in-Hand
Guest: Geoff Colvin
Episode 11: How Can Direct Instruction Strengthen an MTSS Framework?Guests: Stephanie Stollar, Diane Kinder, and Marcy Stein
Episode 12: How Can Leaders Support Schoolwide Direct Instruction?Guests: Bonnie Grossen and Kurt Englemann
Episode 13: How Are Educators Worldwide Using Direct Instruction?
Guests: Jessica Colleu Terradas and Jon Owen
Episode 14: What is the Baltimore Curriculum Project?Guest: Laura Doherty
Episode 15: What is the Role of Field Testing in Direct Instruction?
Guest: Owen Englemann
