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Have you ever discovered an error in the DI programs? The programs are thoroughly vetted and field tested before publication, but sometimes errors still appear.
If you've found an error in a DI program, email the authors at info@engelmann-becker.com. The Engelmann-Becker Corporation (named after the founders of DI) is devoted to designing, field testing and refining the DI curricula both before and after they are published. The E-B Corp would be eager to learn of any errors you've found in the programs so they can note them and work with the publisher to correct errors before the next printing.
Reading Mastery Signature Edition (RMSE), a Direct Instruction (DI) program, is an effective reading program that has been used nationwide. Like all teachers, those using the DI programs are concerned with ensuring students are exposed to and have experience with varied genres and literature. The National Institute for Direct Instruction, NIFDI, has compiled a listing of the genres included in levels 4 and 5 of the program and an outline of examples of the writing activities embedded in the program within each genre. The booklet is free for download pdf here .
Learn more at: http://www.esdinstitute.net
The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) is a federally funded program that evaluates educational interventions and provides summary ratings on its website. Educators often refer to the WWC as a trusted resource for obtaining information on programs. Despite a large research base of scholarly literature reviews and meta-analyses unanimously concluding that Direct Instruction (DI) programs are highly effective, the WWC has found very few studies of DI that meet its criteria for review and has concluded that there is little evidence to support the programs' efficacy.
Of the more than 200 studies of DI curricula that the WWC has reported examining, only seven have met their inclusion criteria "without reservation."