Jessica Colleu Terradas interviews Kurt Engelmann about DI

Jessica Colleu Terradas, Senior Officer Literacy Specialist, Catholic Education, Archdiocese of Canberra & Goulburn, Australia, interviewed Kurt Engelmann, President of the National Institute for Direct Instruction (NIFDI), about the Direct Instruction (DI) approach. Topics include:

• the incremental step design of the DI programs,
• selecting examples and non-examples and other aspects of faultless communication,
• field testing the DI programs,
• differentiating instruction through DI,
• addressing grouping challenges,
• training and supporting staff implementing DI, and
• monitoring and responding to the implementation of DI so all students succeed!

To address several questions, Engelmann shares key graphics from his book, Direct Instruction: A Practitioner’s Handbook (2024), published by John Catt/Hodder Education. The book is available here. 

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Jessica Colleu Terradas interviews Tamara Bressi

Jessica Colleu Terradas, Senior Officer Literacy Specialist in the Archdiocese of Canberra & Goulburn, Australia, interviews Tamara Bressi, Implementation Manager at the National Institute for Direct Instruction (NIFDI) and a highly experienced DI teacher, trainer, and coach. In July 2023, Jessica attended the Institute on Becoming an Effective Direct Instruction Trainer, which was co-led by Tamara, as part of the National DI Conference in Eugene. This interview provides a wealth of information on how to optimize a DI implementation through intentional setup, coaching, and other types of support.