DIRECT INSTRUCTION

RESEARCH FINDING:

When  teachers  explain  exactly what students  are  expected  to 
learn, and demonstrate  the steps needed to accomplish a particular academic 
task, students learn more.

COMMENT:

The procedure stated above is called "direct instruction."  It is 
based  on the assumption that knowing how to learn may  not  come 
naturally  to  all  students,  especially to beginning  and  low-
ability  learners.   Direct  instruction takes  children  through 
learning steps systematically,  helping them see both the purpose 
and  the result of each step.   In this way,  children learn  not 
only  a  lesson's  content but also a method  for  learning  that 
content.

The basic components of direct instruction are:

   . Setting clear goals for students and making sure they
     understand those goals;

   . Presenting a sequence of well-organized assignments;

   . Giving students clear, concise explanations and illustra-
     tions of the subject matter;

   . Asking frequent questions to see if children understand
     the work; and

   . Giving students frequent opportunities to practice what
     they have learned.

Direct instruction does not mean repetition.   It does mean lead-
ing  students  through  a process and teaching them to  use  that 
process  as a skill to master other academic tasks.   Direct  in-
struction  has  been  particularly effective  in  teaching  basic 
skills to young and disadvantaged children, as well as in helping 
older  and higher ability students to master more complex  mater-
ials and to develop independent study skills.

Berliner,  D.,  and Rosenshine,  B.  (l976).   The Acquisition of 
Knowledge in the Classroom.   San Francisco:  Far West Laboratory 
for Educational Research and Development. 
  
Doyle, W. (l985).  "Effective Secondary Classroom Practices."  In 
R.  M.  J.  Kyle,  (Ed.),  Reaching for Excellence:  An Effective 
Schools Sourcebook.  Washington,  D.C.:  U.S. Government Printing 
Office.

Good, T., and Grouws, D. (l98l).  Experimental Research in Secon-
dary Mathematics Classrooms:   Working with Teachers.   Columbia, 
MO:  University of Missouri.

Hansen,  J. (l98l).  "The Effects of Inference Training and Prac-
tice  on  Young Children's Reading Comprehension."   Reading  Re-
search Quarterly, Vol. l6, No. 3, pp. 39l-4l7.

Rosenshine,  B.  (l983).   "Teaching  Functions in  Instructional 
Programs." Elementary School Journal,  Vol.  83,  No. 4, pp. 335-
35l.