What is Direct Instruction (DI)?

The Franklin Academy has adopted a Direct Instruction format, a proven system of education. To help you understand Direct Instruction, please read the following description:

Direct Instruction aims to accelerate learning by maximizing efficiency in the design and delivery of instruction. Many people are familiar with some elements of Direct Instruction, such as rapid pacing and choral group responses, punctuated by individual responses. However, the design of Direct Instruction may not be as familiar.

The design of Direct Instruction eliminates time-consuming lesson planning on the teacher’s part. Instead, it includes every piece necessary to make lessons successful. Researchers have revised each Direct Instruction program based on specific student error data from field tests. Scripting the lessons allows sharing of these “polished stones” across teachers. It also eliminates too much teacher-talk, which at times can decrease pupil motivation, draw out the lesson unnecessarily, and cause confusion by changing the focus of the tasks.

DI Features and Benefits

Features:

1. Direct Instruction shifts emphasis from a child’s problems or “deficits” to a child mastering tasks.
2. Teachers give all children brief, highly accurate placement tests.
3. Based on placement tests, teachers place children in temporary homogenous groups based on their current skills. Groups are cross-graded.

Benefits:

1. Direct Instruction focuses children’s, teachers’ and parents’ attention on growth not remediation, instills clear direction, and fosters higher expectations — and therefore effort. 
2. Teachers monitor student progress more easily. 
3. Students learn more in a given time.
4. Children receive instruction precisely tailored to their skill levels.
5. Direct Instruction promotes efficient use of teacher time and assists teachers in bringing students to mastery at each step. 
6. Direct Instruction provides more flexibility for scheduling and placement. For example, the teacher does not have to spend more time with children who need more help than the rest. Teachers can also move students easily into groups suited to their strengths and progress. Cross-grade grouping (e.g. students from K–2 might be in the same reading group) means that each teacher has fewer groups of students to teach in the same classroom. 
7. Direct Instruction means more individualization in learning. Teachers can pace their lessons appropriately for each group. The smaller range of differences among the students means smaller differences in instructional methods and makes individualization possible within the group of students.

Additional Information:

• National Institute For Direct Instruction
• 20/20 Report on Direct Instruction Pt. 1
• 20/20 Report on Direct Instruction Pt. 2
• Sold a Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong