1. Direct Instruction has the same goals as other approaches that call themselves "constructivist," "holistic," or "child centered." These goals include teaching students to love and be skilled at reading, writing and math; to love and be skilled at understanding what they read and how math works; and to use skills at reading, writing math and comprehending to achieve objectives in other subjects (e.g., history and science) and activities.

2. Direct Instruction is holistic. For example, Direct Instruction reading teaches everything that is meant by "literacy":

a. Pre-reading skills.
b. Decoding.
c. Comprehension.
d. Spelling.
e. Writing, reading and editing stories.

3. Direct Instruction Uses Authentic Literature. The Reading Mastery curriculum uses writings in poetry, fiction, history, plays, women's literature, multicultural literature, math, astronomy, geography, anatomy, physics, and zoology.

4. Direct Instruction Integrates Smaller Learnings Into Meaningful Wholes. Direct Instruction does not teach basic or simpler skills (parts) in isolation from meaningful contexts (e.g., activities, problems). In the beginning (first 15 minutes) of early lessons in Reading Mastery, the students work on sounds. However, this is done in the context of an activity that is meaningful for students--namely, a quick-paced, small group activity in which all of the students know they are working together to learn a new task, and successfully meet a new challenge

5. Direct Instruction Is Developmentally Appropriate. The features of DI are consistent with what we know about developmental appropriateness.

a. DI is in small groups.
b. DI is quick-paced.
c. DI helps students to be and to feel successful.
d. Interaction with teachers is warm and supportive. Students are never singled out when they make errors.
e. DI lessons are arranged so that students are slightly challenged with each new task.
f. DI teaches moral principles relevant to students; e.g., to help other students and not tease; to show respect for the group process; to try hard.

6. Direct Instruction Is Not Drill and Kill. At most, the teacher has students practice an action a few times until they are "firm." "Try that again. One more time. Great!" Additional practice--to assure fluency, generalization, retention, and independence (mastery)--is given later, when the skill is integrated with other skills in larger tasks.

7. Direct Instruction Is Not Rote Learning. All knowledge systems involve some rote learning--sheer memorization, because there are basic (irreducible) concepts that have nothing to do with reasoning; In English, "z" says "zzz." In math, 2 and "two" mean //. However, Direct Instruction has less rote learning and more higher-order cognitive learning than most other curricula. For example, in Direct Instruction math, students do not learn "Two plus two equals four" (rote). Instead, they learn a cognitive strategy for solving equations that have 2's and 4's in them.

2 + __ = 4 and 4 - __ = 2.

When students learn how to solve these problems, they automatically know that 2 + 2 = 4.

8. Direct Instruction Is Not Basic Skills Only. In fact, DI focuses much more on higher-order cognitive learning. Half of the Corrective Reading curriculum is on complex forms of comprehension. And in Reading Mastery, students learn to write and analyze stories as soon as they can read.

9. Direct Instruction Is Not Boring and Alienating. In fact, students love it because there is so much individual attention (small groups); it moves quickly (which is great for students with attention problems); they are challenged continually; they are virtually always successful; and each child's success contributes to the group.

10. Direct Instruction is Not All Teacher Directed. There is much teacher direction in early lessons, especially the first part of lessons--when students are learning new material. But after 20 or so minutes, students work independently (e.g., reading and writing stories). Then they may return to the group to read and discuss each other's stories.

1. The teacher knows exactly what she wants students to learn (be able to do) after each task (2-3 minutes) in lessons (15-30 minutes).

2. The teacher tells students what they will be learning before each task. This gives students a sense of predictability and control. They are joined with the teacher. The teacher also tells students what they have learned after they have learned it. This helps students to focus on their own actions so that they can learn to direct themselves.

3. The teacher focuses her attention and students' attention on the task at hand.

4. The teacher tells, demonstrates, re-states, and helps students to state and re-state rules and cognitive strategies. For example, "You calculate what you will owe by adding the dollar amounts that are close to the values on the price tags. If the price says, $4.10, you add $4.00. If the price says $6.95, you add $7.00."

In other words, knowledge is made explicit and overt; and students are taught to use this knowledge (how to figure a total cost) in their activities. With practice, this knowledge becomes covert (internalized). It now belongs to the students. This is important for students' cognitive development.

5. The curriculum is arranged so that students are taught ahead of time what they need to know in order to understand what the teacher is talking about or demonstrating, and so they can figure out how to do the next task or solve the next problem.

6. Nothing is inert. Students are not taught useless facts and concepts. Whatever they are taught now, they use now and later.

7. Instructional interaction is formatted. The general format is as follows.

a. Statement of objective, expectation, or task at hand. "You know the sounds for these letters. But these letters have names. I'll tell you the names of these letters. Listen."

b. Model. Teacher touches each letter in her presentation book (a, e, i, o, u) and says the name. The teacher models a few times if students seem to need it. "Listen again."

c. Lead. The teacher does the task with the students. "Say the names with me. Remember the names are what you said when these letters had lines over them." (Note the explicit rule.) Teacher touches each letter and says the names with the students.

d. Test. Students now do the task without help. This is understood not as a test of the students, but rather as information on the teacher's effectiveness and an opportunity for the children to "show off" what they've learned. "All by yourselves. Say the names." Teacher points to each letter. The whole group responds until firm. Then she calls on individual students.

e. Re-test. Earlier material is reviewed later. This gives more practice and aids retention.

f. Error correction. In the stage of acquisition (when students are first learning a skill), the teacher corrects all errors. Why? Because otherwise, students with low self- esteem will have lower self-esteem; inattentive students will become more inattentive; and errors will show up as weaknesses in more complex activities (making students have an even harder time learning).

8. Much of the interaction follows a script, which teachers eventually memorize, just as actors "become" Hamlet and Ophelia. Why scripted? Because no one on earth could create curricula as faultless in their logic and as comprehensive in scope as DI curricula.

After they have used their Teacher Presentation Books for a month or so, and have seen how fast their children are learning and how effectively they are teaching, most teachers realize the beautiful partnership that they have with the curriulum developers and researchers. The genius of the curriculum developers helps teachers to perfect their craft. And the energy and skills of the teacher make the genius of the curriculum come alive. Each person--teacher and curriculum developer--makes the other's skill and energy work in the service of students.