Join veteran trainer Beverly Trent on November 13 & 14 for NIFDI's popular academy–Analyzing Data, Classroom Observations & Providing Feedback. This two-day training at the Cambria Hotel, Orlando Airport, is designed for instructional coaches, peer coaches, and others responsible for observing instruction and improving student performance.

Through demonstrations, practice, and hands-on activities, participants will learn how to:

• Gain meaningful information from lesson progress and in-program mastery data.
• Model how to improve written records.
• Conduct supportive classroom observations and demonstrations aimed at increasing student success.
• Provide effective oral and written feedback to instructors to directly impact student performance.
• Conduct classroom demonstrations, in-class coaching, and team teaching.
• Design and deliver effective, ongoing professional development sessions.

A description and registration information are available on our website. You can also contact Bryan Wickman, NIFDI's Outreach Events Director, at 1.877.485.1973 or by email at bwickman@nifdi.org with questions or for more information.

Effective training is critical to the successful implementation of Direct Instruction (DI). Each year, we partner with thousands of instructors to build student success. We can partner with you, too! In our highly-focused remote training, you will learn, practice, and receive feedback on critical skills needed to successfully teach the programs. Click on the links below to register for these interactive, effective trainings!

October 3 • 7:30-2:30PT • Corrective Reading Decoding A supports non-readers, those who are extremely deficient in decoding skills, by teaching sound-spelling relationships, reading strategies for sounding out words, and applying those strategies both in isolation and in context. Students who place into Decoding A may recognize some words but lack adequate strategies to successfully read words like frost and track.

October 10 & 16 • 7:30-2:30PT • Reading Mastery Signature Edition Grade K Reading 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. Due to the amount of material covered in this training, it is divided over two days.

October 17 • 7:30-2:30PT • Corrective Reading Decoding B1 & B2 refine 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 with daily reading of decodable connected text. Students who place into Decoding B1 or B2 have inconsistent reading skills and often guess at words rather than apply decoding strategies that will lead to the accurate reading of words.

October 24 • 7:30-2:30PT • Reading Mastery Signature Edition Grade 1 Reading 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.

Space in each session is limited! Sign up now and upgrade your skills!

The NIFDI Board of Directors is pleased to announce their selections for the 2025 Excellence in Education Awards. Each year, we recognize individuals and schools that have made a significant difference in the educational performance of children through the Carnine/McRoberts Student Improvement Award, the Siegfried Engelmann Excellence in Education Award, and the Wesley Becker Excellent School Award.

There are two recipients of the Becker Excellent School Award.

Athena Learning Trust Cluster, located in the United Kingdom. Their nomination notes the significant positive impact the Direct Instruction mathematics curriculum has had on their students, staff, and the wider educational community.

Mastery School Australia Coolangatta. Their implementation of Connecting Math Concepts, Spelling Mastery, Reading Mastery, and Corrective Reading as their instructional core has received national notice for the results they are achieving.

The Engelmann Excellence in Education Award is shared by three outstanding educators, all of whom teach at Mastery Schools Australia’s Southport campus.

Bryce Kennedy is a year 9-10 teacher. In his letter of support, Principal Matt Cavanaugh notes, “Bryce has made a profound and lasting impact on our school community through his exceptional teaching ability, unwavering professionalism, and outstanding mentorship.”

Brooke Schembri works with neuro-diverse students as well as those who have significant emotional challenges. She is noted for her effective, dedicated, and compassionate work to make sure each student succeeds.

Jamie Phillips works with students in years 7-8. The letters of support from her students note how they have gained confidence in themselves through her continuous support and encouragement. Master Teacher Melissa Pilcher reports that, “Jaime is not only an exceptional classroom teacher but also a generous and skilled mentor to her colleagues.”

There will be a reception at the National DI conference on July 24 to recognize these outstanding schools and individuals. Please look for the call for nominations, which will be released in February, and consider nominating your school, colleague, or student for an award.

Educational Achievement Publishing (EAP) has begun email distribution of Achievement Matters. Marketing Director Randi Saulter refers to it as "your go-to source for news, insights, and resources from Educational Achievement Publishing, the publisher of Direct Instruction Spoken English (DISE)."

Future issues will include helpful tips for classroom implementation, highlights from schools using DISE, answers to frequently asked questions, and much more.

Click here to subscribe to this valuable resource.