Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T21:10:47.382Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Teaching reading through Direct Instruction: A role for educational psychologists?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 June 2020

Kerry Hempenstall
Kerry Hempenstall*
Affiliation:
School of Education, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
*
Author for correspondence: Kerry Hempenstall, Email: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

Educational psychologists can play a number of roles within education settings. They are often called upon to assist with the assessment and treatment of disability issues, student behaviour and mental health problems, parent and teacher liaison, and counselling, to name a few. Less frequently pursued is an active role in establishing and evaluating both general classroom and remedial literacy instruction. A lack of success in the literacy domain can have far-reaching effects on students’ educational and social and emotional development. Further, it has been noted in national and international reports that the accumulated evidence for effective literacy instruction has not had the impact on policy that it deserves. Educational psychologists are well placed to assist schools to develop an evidence-based perspective that can provide a marked improvement in the literacy development of students. One such model with a long research history is Direct Instruction. This article will describe the model, and consider how it might be profitably employed in schools.

Keywords

Direct Instructioneducational psychologists
Type
Articles
Information
The Educational and Developmental Psychologist , Volume 37 , Issue 2 , December 2020 , pp. 133 - 139
Copyright
© Australian Psychological Society Ltd, 2020

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adams, G., & Engelmann, S. (1996). Research on Direct Instruction: 25 years beyond DISTAR. Seattle, WA: Educational Achievement Systems.Google Scholar
Adesope, O.O., Trevisan, D.A., & Sundararajan, N. (2017). Rethinking the use of tests: A meta-analysis of practice testing. Review of Educational Research, 87, 659–701.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Alfieri, L., Brooks, P.J., Aldrich, N.J., & Tenenbaum, H.R. (2010). Does discovery-based instruction enhance learning? Journal of Educational Psychology, 103, 1–18.10.1037/a0021017CrossRefGoogle Scholar
American Institutes for Research. (1999). An educators’ guide to schoolwide reform. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED460429 Google Scholar
Anwaruddin, S.M. (2015). Teachers’ engagement with educational research: Toward a conceptual framework for locally-based interpretive communities. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 23, 1–25. http://dx.doi.org/10.14507/epaa.v23.1776 Google Scholar
Archer, A.L., & Hughes, C.A. (2011). Explicit instruction: Effective and efficient teaching. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Australian Industry Group. (2016). Tackling foundation skills in the workforce. http://cdn.aigroup.com.au/Reports/2016/AIG9675_EMAIL.pdf Google Scholar
Becker, W.C. (1977). Teaching reading and language to the disadvantaged. What we have learned from field research. Harvard Educational Review, 47, 518–543.10.17763/haer.47.4.51431w6022u51015CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Benner, G.J., Nelson, J.R., Stage, S.A., & Ralston, N.C. (2011). The influence of fidelity of implementation on the reading outcomes of middle school students experiencing reading difficulties. Remedial and Special Education, 32, 79–88.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boyes, M.E., Leitao, S., Claessen, M., Badcock, N.A., & Nayton, M. (2016). Why are reading difficulties associated with mental health problems? Dyslexia, 22, 263–266.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Buckingham, J. (2019). Graduate teachers are short changed on evidence-based reading instruction. Nomanis, 8, 12–13.Google Scholar
Carnine, D. (1991). Curricular interventions for teaching higher order thinking to all students: Introduction to the special series. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 24, 261–269.10.1177/002221949102400502CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Carnine, D. (1995). Trustworthiness, useability, and accessibility of educational research. Journal of Behavioral Education, 5, 251–258.10.1007/BF02110314CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clark, R.E., Kirschner, P.A., & Sweller, J. (2012, March 23). Putting students on the path to learning: The case for fully guided instruction. American Educator. http://www.aft.org/pdfs/americaneducator/spring2012/Clark.pdf Google Scholar
Cohen, R., Mather, N., Schneider, D., & White, J. (2017). A comparison of schools: Teacher knowledge of explicit code-based reading instruction. Reading and Writing, 30, 653–690.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Diamond, L. (2004). High fidelity — It’s all about instructional materials. An interview with Linda Diamond of CORE. https://www.corelearn.com/files/HighFidelity.pdf Google Scholar
Engelmann, S. (1980). Toward the design of faultless instruction: The theoretical basis of concept analysis. Educational Technology, 20, 28–36.Google Scholar
Engelmann, S. (2004). Prologue to the Dalmatian and its spots: Why research-based recommendations fail Logic 101. http://www.zigsite.com/DalmatianPro.htm Google Scholar
Engelmann, S., & Carnine, D. (1982). Theory of instruction. New York: Irvington.Google Scholar
Engelmann, S., Becker, W.C., Carnine, D., & Gersten, R. (1988). The Direct Instruction Follow Through model: Design and outcomes. Education and Treatment of Children, 11, 303–317.Google Scholar
Fielding-Barnsley, R. (2010). Australian pre-service teachers’ knowledge of phonemic awareness and phonics in the process of learning to read. Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties, 15, 99–110.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gersten, R.M., Keating, T., & Becker, W. (1988). The continued impact of the Direct Instruction Model: Longitudinal studies of Follow Through students. Education and Treatment of Children, 11, 318–327.Google Scholar
Glang, A., & Gersten, R. (1987, Winter). Coaching teachers. Direct Instruction News, 1, 4, 5, 7.Google Scholar
Goss, P. (2018, May 15). Five things we wouldn’t know without NAPLAN. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/five-things-we-wouldnt-know-without-naplan-94286 Google Scholar
Goss, P., & Sonnemann, J. (2016). Widening gaps: What NAPLAN tells us about student progress. Grattan Institute. https://grattan.edu.au/report/widening-gaps/ Google Scholar
Gregory, R.P. (1983). Direct Instruction, disadvantaged and handicapped children: A review of the literature and some practical implications. Parts 1 & 2. Remedial Education, 18, 108–114, 130–136.Google Scholar
Grossen, B. (Ed.). (1996). What was that Project Follow Through? Effective School Practices, 15, 1–85.Google Scholar
Hammond, L. (2015). Early childhood educators’ perceived and actual metalinguistic knowledge, beliefs and enacted practice about teaching early reading. Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties, 3, 853–864.Google Scholar
Hammond, L., & Moore, W.M. (2018). Teachers taking up explicit instruction: The impact of a professional development and directive instructional coaching model. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 43, 110–133.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hattie, J. (2009). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.Google Scholar
Hempenstall, K. (1996). The gulf between educational research and policy: The example of Direct Instruction and whole language. Behaviour Change, 13, 33–46.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hempenstall, K. (2006). What does evidence-based practice in education mean? Australian Journal of Learning Disabilities, 11, 83–92.10.1080/19404150609546811CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hempenstall, K. (2013). Why does Direct Instruction evoke such rancour? https://www.nifdi.org/resources/hempenstall-blog/389-why-does-direct-instruction-evoke-such-rancour.html Google Scholar
Holden, R. (2019, December 6). Vital signs: Australia’s slipping student scores will lead to greater income inequality. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/vital-signs-australias-slipping-student-scores-will-lead-to-greater-income-inequality-128301 Google Scholar
Holden, R., & Zhang, J. (2018). The economic impact of improving regional, rural & remote education in Australia: Closing the human capital gap. http://research.economics.unsw.edu.au/richardholden/assets/gonski-report-final.pdf Google Scholar
Joseph, B. (2019). Overcoming the odds: A study of Australia’s top-performing disadvantaged schools. Centre for Independent Studies, RR39. https://www.cis.org.au/publications/research-reports/overcoming-the-odds-a-study-of-australias-top-performing-disadvantaged-schools/ Google Scholar
Katzir, T., Young-Suk, G.K., & Dotan, S. (2018). Reading self-concept and reading anxiety in second grade children: The roles of word reading, emergent literacy skills, working memory and gender. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1–13 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McMullen, F., & Madelaine, A. (2014). Why is there so much resistance to Direct Instruction? Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties, 19, 137–151.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meeks, L., & Kemp, C.R. (2017). How well prepared are Australian preservice teachers to teach early reading skills? Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 42, 1–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Megherbi, H., Elbro, C., Oakhill, J.V., Segui, J., & New, B. (2018). The emergence of automaticity in reading: Effects of orthographic depth and word decoding ability on an adjusted Stroop measure. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 166, 652–663.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
National Inquiry into the Teaching of Literacy. (2005). Teaching reading — A review of the evidence-based research literature on approaches to the teaching of literacy, particularly those that are effective in assisting students with reading difficulties. Canberra, Australia: Department of Education, Science and Training.Google Scholar
National Institute for Direct Instruction. (2013). Direct Instruction and Project Follow-Through: A bibliography. https://www.nifdi.org/docman/research/bibliographies-abstracts-of-literature/1347-direct-instruction-project-follow-through-a-bibliography-march-24-2013/file.html Google Scholar
National Institute for Direct Instruction. (2017). DI component analysis. In Writings on Direct Instruction: A bibliography (p. 180). https://www.nifdi.org/docman/research/bibliography/205-di-bibliography-reference-list/file Google Scholar
National Institute for Direct Instruction. (2018). Information about the individual DI programs. https://www.nifdi.org/programs/about-the-programs Google Scholar
National Reading Panel. (2000 ). Report of the National Reading Panel. National Institute of Child Health and Development.Google Scholar
New South Wales Parliament Legislative Council. (2020). Report 40. Measurement and outcome-based funding in New South Wales schools informed by the data: Evidence-based education in NSW. https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/lcdocs/inquiries/2539/PC3%20-%20Final%20Report%20-%20Measurement%20and%20outcome%20based%20funding%20in%20NSW%20schools%20-%2018%20February%202020.pdf Google Scholar
Plavnick, J., Marchand-Martella, N., Martella, R., Thompson, J., & Wood, A.L. (2015). A review of explicit and systematic scripted instructional programs for students with autism spectrum disorder. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2, 55–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rist, M.C. (1992). Learning by heart. The Executive Educator, November, 12–19.Google Scholar
Rosenshine, B.V. (1986). Synthesis of research on explicit teaching. Educational Leadership, 43, 60–69.Google Scholar
Rosenshine, B.V. (2002). Helping students from low-income homes read at grade level. Journal for Students Placed at Risk, 7, 273–283.10.1207/S15327671ESPR0702_9CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Russell, G., Ryder, D., Norwich, B., & Ford, T. (2015). Behavioural difficulties that co-occur with specific word reading difficulties: A UK population-based cohort study. Dyslexia, 21, 123–141.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schug, M., Tarver, S., & Western, R. (2001). Direct instruction and the teaching of early reading. Wisconsin Policy Research Institute Report, 14, 1–29.Google Scholar
Stark, H.L., Snow, P.C., Eadie, P.A., & Goldfeld, S.R. (2016). Language and reading instruction in early years classrooms: The knowledge and self-rated ability of Australian teachers. Annals of Dyslexia, 66, 28–54.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stephenson, J. (2018). A systematic review of the research on the knowledge and skills of Australian preservice teachers. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 43, 121–137.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stockard, J., & Engelmann, K. (2010). The development of early academic success: The impact of Direct Instruction’s reading mastery. Journal of Behavior Assessment and Intervention in Children, 1, 2–24.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stockard, J., Wood, T.W., Coughlin, C., & Khoury, C.R. (2018). The effectiveness of Direct Instruction curricula: A meta-analysis of a half century of research. Review of Educational Research, 88, 479–507.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Suggate, S.P. (2016). A meta-analysis of the long-term effects of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, and reading comprehension interventions. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 49, 77–96.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Swanson, H.L. (2001). Research on interventions for adolescents with learning disabilities: A meta-analysis of outcomes related to higher-order processing. The Elementary School Journal, 101, 331–348.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Teacher Education Ministerial Advisory Group. (2014). Action now: Classroom ready teachers. https://www.aitsl.edu.au/tools-resources/resource/action-now-classroom-ready-teachers Google Scholar
Thomson, S., De Bortoli, L., Underwood, C., & Schmid, M. (2019). PISA 2018 in Brief: I. Student performance. https://research.acer.edu.au/ozpisa/34 Google Scholar
White, W.A.T. (1988). A meta-analysis of the effects of direct instruction in special education. Education & Treatment of Children, 11, 364–374.Google Scholar