Educational Maverick Siegfried "Zig" Engelmann has been developing and refining an instructional approach, Direct Instruction, for over 40 years. Produced by Palfreman Film Group, this two-part film captures Zig's life work in changing the lives of students all over the world.

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In an article dramatically titled, "The Death of Preschool," in the November/December 2011 issue of Scientific American Mind, Paul Tullis attempts to establish a link between "direct instruction" and a host of psychological and physical ailments that preschool children may suffer later in life due to "toxic stress". Without clearly establishing what he means by "direct instruction," Tullis makes the claim that "early exposure to academics" has the potential "to psychologically damage developing brains," and can lead to physical health problems, including (but presumably not limited to) "depression, anxiety disorders--even cardiovascular disease and diabetes." Damage to the hippocampus is evidently a likely outcome if a child learns the names of different types of whales in preschool, according to Tullis.

Dr. Kurt Engelmann responds to Mr. Tullis' article in his letter to the Editor of Scientific American Mind.

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The National Institute for Direct Instruction (NIFDI) has developed video guides to accompany the training and support videos available on our website. These guides were initially developed to help viewers focus on critical aspects of the full immersion model of Direct Instruction (DI) presented in the videos. Just as DI programs are field tested, these guides have also been designed and tested to ensure they target key aspects of implementation pertinent to successful DI implementations. They help guide conversations of faculty and schools contemplating implementation of the full immersion DI model. For schools or districts already implementing DI, it provides an opportunity for discussion among teachers and staff regarding critical issues associated with implementation and is perfect for a structured inservice.

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In a video recently uploaded to YouTube, maverick educator Siegfried "Zig" Engelmann demonstrates an instructional approach that has young children solving basic algebraic problems (DI, of course!). This is the first part of a video filmed in the summer of 1966. The students featured in the film attended the Bereiter-Engelmann Preschool for at-risk children and, at the time of this filming, had not yet entered first grade. Checkout the video on YouTube. Be sure to share the link with your friends and fellow educators, too!

The video is available in its entirety at www.zigsite.com.