November 26, 2025, would have marked Siegfried “Zig” Engelmann’s 94th birthday. He passed in 2019 after an amazingly productive and full life. Zig was the creator of Direct Instruction (DI), beginning with his work in education in 1965. Zig devoted most of his life to bettering the lives of children by applying his theory of instruction to a set of instructional programs that are unparalleled in their efficacy with all learners, particularly learners at risk for failure. Prior to his passing, he had written over 100 instructional programs, 30 books, and hundreds of articles and papers.NIFDI was founded by Zig to work with schools worldwide to implement Direct Instruction with a high level of fidelity. We are proud to continue his legacy of helping all students realize their highest potential with DI.
Our links to our favorite videos featuring Zig can be found by clicking here.
