National Institute for Direct Instruction (NIFDI)

02/06/2026

Take a look inside a real kindergarten classroom using Reading Mastery Signature K and see how sounds are explicitly taught.

In this short clip, you’ll notice instructional delivery techniques that make a difference:

• Clear point-touch-signal to guide responses
• Active monitoring of every student response
• Positive affirmations that reinforce accuracy and confidence

These practices may look simple, but they require intentional training and practice to deliver fluently and effectively.

Watch the video to see a group of students fully engaged and responding in unison. In just a short time, every student gets multiple opportunities to practice and build mastery of sounds.

Interested in building this level of implementation in your school or district? Learn more about how NIFDI supports capacity building for leaders and provides program training for teachers and instructional teams.

Fill out our contact form to get started: https://bit.ly/4nd1G7v

27/05/2026

The latest episode of the Direct Instruction Podcast is now available! In this episode, Owen Engelmann, Direct Instruction program author, discusses the field-testing process for DI programs with Dr. Zach Groshell.

Find out what actually happens during field testing: who’s in the room, what gets recorded, how student errors are interpreted, and how developers distinguish between flaws in the script and flaws in delivery.

Listen here: https://bit.ly/4dQYZoV

25/05/2026

“Look at the research. The research supports the program.”

That’s the message from one school partner after seeing the impact of fully implementing Direct Instruction with support from NIFDI.

From students accelerating beyond grade level to struggling learners finally experiencing academic success, DI helps schools meet students exactly where they are and move them forward with confidence.

As this partner shared, fully implementing DI has helped close achievement gaps while giving teachers the structure, support, and confidence to focus instruction intentionally every single day.

And despite common misconceptions, DI does not take away teacher creativity or personality. With coaching and implementation support from NIFDI, educators can still bring energy, connection, and joy into their classrooms while delivering instruction that works.

“Being able to take students who started two grade levels behind and help them experience academic success for the first time… that’s priceless.”

At NIFDI, we’re proud to partner with schools to build campus capacity to help all students succeed.

Watch our partner perspective video here: https://bit.ly/4d8VHNq

If you're interested in starting a DI implementation at your campus or district, fill out our contact form to connect with us: https://bit.ly/4nd1G7v

“Look at the research. The research supports the program.”That’s ...

22/05/2026

The National Institute for Direct Instruction, in cooperation with Roger Bacon Academy, presents Direct Instruction Coaching – An Intensive Summer Academy.

Intended Audience: Instructional coaches, peer coaches, and others responsible for observing instruction and improving student performance

📍 Leland, North Carolina
📅 July 6–9, 2026
🎓 Lead Trainer: Tara Davis

Participants will engage in the content from both NIFDI Coaching Academies, including:

✔️ Analyzing lesson progress and mastery data
✔️ Conducting effective classroom observations
✔️ Delivering meaningful feedback to teachers
✔️ Facilitating impactful professional development
✔️ Refining coaching skills to improve instructional effectiveness

With effective peer coaching, staff development, and strong leadership, teachers who use Direct Instruction will improve significantly, and students will progress farther and faster than they ever have before.

⚠️ Space is limited to 15 participants. Register early to secure your spot!

Register here: https://buff.ly/fvPsHHJ

19/05/2026

Institute on Becoming an Effective DI Trainer

Has your district received training and on-site coaching support for implementing Direct Instruction (DI), and is now looking for ways to maintain implementation with a high level of fidelity?

The Institute on Becoming an Effective DI Trainer at the National DI Conference and Institutes can help your school or district expand its capacity to provide training and support for DI implementation by developing on-site trainers.

The institute provides advanced training for teachers, coaches, and building coordinators who already have substantial DI experience and are ready to become trainers. Over the course of five days, participants are introduced to the main steps for developing a program training for teachers new to Direct Instruction: creating a training outline, designing materials for a training packet, identifying critical program formats, and articulating the rationale for the program’s design. Participants pre-select a program and level to train in, develop an outline for training teachers in that program, and then deliver a presentation to the other participants. Trainees spend approximately half their time with the course leaders and the other half in other sessions, observing and assisting in actual program training sessions at the institute.

Participation in the institute requires extensive experience with Direct Instruction programs. A prerequisite for admission to the institute is a minimum of 2 full years of DI teaching experience in one DI program.

The institute provides no program training – it assumes that applicants have already been trained in their pre-selected program and have substantial first-hand experience teaching the program. The institute's focus is on effective training techniques and the general content that should be included in training. Other sessions at the National Direct Instruction Conference and Institutes provide program-specific training.

Prospective participants must complete a separate application for admission into the institute.
Fill out the online application here: https://bit.ly/3POWxqX

Applications are due by May 30, 2026. Notification will be made by June 14, 2026.

Direct questions about the institute to [email protected].

14/05/2026

More than 20 years later, A Tale of Two Schools still raises important questions about what it takes to help all students become successful readers. Watch the full video: https://bit.ly/4tZDSrj

This documentary, narrated by Morgan Freeman, was produced for PBS in 2003. It portrays the efforts of two high-poverty schools to promote reading success in their classrooms: Walton Elementary in Fort Worth, Texas, and Bearden Elementary in the Mississippi Delta.

During filming, Walton Elementary was using Reading Mastery (https://bit.ly/4dC4WGn) and had an experienced literacy coordinator who supported teachers as they delivered the program, which they had been trained in and had implemented successfully for several years. The documentary focuses on the challenges and slow steps of a first-grader named Tavares to acquire essential literacy skills while the rest of his classmates progress successfully with Reading Mastery.

Bearden Elementary had just begun implementing a different set of instructional practices, which the narrator characterizes as “more complex” than DI. The film portrays the efforts of one teacher to implement these practices for about half a year before she receives training in them.

The two schools experience contrasting results at the end of the school year. While the principal at each school identifies teachers as the source of success in reading, the film identifies several additional factors that lead to reading success: “…a determined principal, a systematic reading program, some help at home, and well-trained teachers who expect the kids to succeed.” The documentary avoids making any recommendations about curriculum. According to the producer, “There are many good reading programs out there. The hard part is training the teachers to use the program well and making sure that the program is coordinated throughout the school.”(https://to.pbs.org/3R0Zk0u)

You can read more about the documentary on the official website here: https://to.pbs.org/4d8HkZy.

The National Institute for Direct Instruction (NIFDI) provides comprehensive training and support for schools implementing Reading Mastery and other DI programs, including multi-level coaches training, data analysis, and mentoring for school leaders to ensure that all students succeed. If you are interested in exploring how Direct Instruction can help your students succeed, email us at [email protected].

11/05/2026

Join educators from across the country July 20–24, 2026, at the Graduate Eugene & Conference Center in Eugene, Oregon, and take the first step toward implementing Direct Instruction with fidelity.

Session Name: Theory of Direct Instruction–Deconstructing DI

UPDATED SESSION! Beyond the superficial features of Direct Instruction programs, there is a complex set of instructional design principles. Because of these design principles, when DI is properly delivered, student outcomes will surpass the outcomes of other forms of instruction. In this session, participants will gain insight into what those design principles are and how the program designers apply them to a variety of skill sets.

📌 Registration for the NIFDI National Conference is now open!

Register here: https://bit.ly/Eugene_2026

See the full brochure of trainings offered here: https://bit.ly/4dOBy19

05/05/2026

What happens when Direct Instruction is implemented with fidelity and paired with the right coaching and support?

Special education teacher Kjerstin Hagen shares what she’s seeing in her classroom using Corrective Reading Comprehension A, B1, B2, C, and Corrective Reading Decoding C.

-Students making real-world connections across subjects
-Measurable gains in reading, writing, and comprehension
-Increased confidence and independence in general education settings
-Students meeting goals and even exiting support services

Kjerstin also references growth on MCA (Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments) and MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) reading data. MCA is a summative, standards-based assessment that measures end-of-year proficiency, while MAP is a formative, adaptive assessment that tracks individual student growth over time. Seeing gains across both highlights not just achievement, but meaningful progress for each learner.

Kjerstin also highlights something we hear often: success doesn’t happen by chance. It comes from trusting the process, sticking to the routine, and having access to high-quality training and coaching every step of the way.

🎥 Watch the full video to hear Kjerstin's story and see what’s possible with Direct Instruction: https://bit.ly/4usRZVN

At NIFDI, we partner with schools and districts to make that level of implementation possible.

Find out more about the Corrective Reading Decoding and Comprehension programs here: https://bit.ly/4tezx2k

Fill out our contact form to meet with our team and discuss your next steps in getting a Direct Instruction Implementation started: https://bit.ly/4nd1G7v

01/05/2026

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Spelling Through Morphographs!

In 1976, Spelling Through Morphographs (originally titled Morphographic Spelling) was published by E-B Press. Authored by Siegfried Engelmann and Bob Dixon, this program was the first spelling program to utilize the morphographic analysis of words to teach spelling. The program has been published by McGraw-Hill since 1982 and is widely used.

We asked Maria Collins, a longtime DI teacher, trainer, and consultant, to recall the early days when the program was first used. Here is her story:

I first was introduced to Morphographic Spelling when I used it to teach spelling to 12 -14 fourth & fifth graders at Coburg Elementary School in Coburg, Oregon in 1977. I had only galleys to use at the time. I was amazed at how the students worked & performed. I used the point system designed by the authors.

The following year I used the program to teach spelling to 6th, 7th and 8th graders in a Learning Center in Corvallis, Oregon. When the sixth-grade teachers saw the change in their at-risk students’ spelling & writing skills, they asked me to come and give a presentation on the program…

I went back to our middle school and gave a presentation to the sixth-grade teachers. They voted to adopt the Morphographic Spelling for their spelling program.

The following year, one of the teachers asked to have a conference with me. She showed me the results of her students’ scores on the standardized reading test. While the students had always made a year’s gain in reading scores, the year of the Morphographic Spelling, her students made two years gain in reading comprehension! She was amazed!

I next used Morphographic Spelling in methods classes I taught in language at a couple of universities out west and in the Midwest. The student teachers loved using the programs with their teachers.

We implemented a program for at-risk students at Oak Park & River Forest High School in Oak Park, IL from 1988-92. Along with the Corrective Reading and Math programs, we also utilized Morphographic Spelling, Spelling Mastery (depending on student placement) and Expressive Writing.

An ESL teacher saw me teaching the programs and asked if I would train her, which I did.

She then asked if I would teach 15 of her ESL students the Morphographic Spelling program as she had her schedule full teaching the Direct Instruction Reading programs.

I agreed and these 15 students (from 8 countries) challenged me on every point I did not give them! They were industrious and conscientious about their performance. The ESL teacher reported that she also saw a great improvement in their reading comprehension!

I have trained and consulted on this amazing spelling program across 25 states in the US, including using it in the Baltimore Curriculum Project (1996-2001) and in Milwaukee, WI from 2001-2010 as well as Philadelphia 2010-2012.

I have witnessed the improvement of students’ spelling skills across all grades from 4th - 12th grade. The gains are, in part, based on the design of the program as well as good training & consulting.

Students must be appropriately placed in the program. If they do not place in this program, Spelling Mastery A, B or C may be more appropriate.

When you get good training and use the program carefully, following the script, you, too, will find amazing results!- Dr. Maria Collins

With the right training, placement, and support, schools can replicate these results and build lasting instructional capacity.

Connect with us to learn how to get started: https://bit.ly/4nd1G7v

28/04/2026

Session Name: Powerful Explicit Instructional Strategies for Building Students’ Comprehension and Vocabulary

UPDATED SESSION! This session highlights why effective vocabulary instruction is essential to all students’ success, describes effective, explicit strategies for teaching vocabulary, and models of effective instruction. Additionally, participants will learn how to teach students strategies for learning words, develop a language-enriched classroom, and foster word consciousness among students.

Takeaways include more than 12 vocabulary practice activities that will assist in providing in-class and at-home opportunities for students to interact with new vocabulary items.

Words are all we have.
—Samuel Beckett

Join educators from across the country July 20–24, 2026, at the Graduate Eugene & Conference Center in Eugene, Oregon, and take the first step toward implementing Direct Instruction with fidelity.

📌 Registration for the NIFDI National Conference is now open!

Register here: https://bit.ly/Eugene_2026

See the full brochure of trainings offered here: https://buff.ly/cwy8MV3