Our Teaching Method – Direct Instruction – Comprehension
At Firefly Education, we teach the full range of Direct Instruction programs. Each program is built around the core Direct Instruction principles of consistent language, carefully sequenced material, highly individualized delivery, and continuous assessment and skillful correction. The following are selected samples of Direct Instruction comprehension programs that we teach, all of which are available for our online teaching service:
Language for Learning
Language for Learning provides young learners with the basic vocabulary and understanding of concepts that they need to be successful in school. The program is designed to meet the needs of early students, English language learners, and those who have less than adequate language skills for their age. Children are taught the words, concepts, and statements important to both oral and written language, enabling them to extend this knowledge to other areas of their development. A strong focus is placed on the meanings and uses of words that are important for following instructions, answering questions, and reasoning. Many opportunities are provided for students to describe what they are doing, observe details in pictures, and sequence events in time. Acquisition of vocabulary and background knowledge is maximized through direct teaching, building the prerequisite skills required to achieve proficiency in reading comprehension. Early students are given the essential tools and understanding of language to foster educational success.
Corrective Reading – Comprehension
Corrective Reading – Comprehension is designed for students who need to develop vocabulary, background information, and reasoning skills that are the foundation of comprehension. Intensive, robust instruction targets comprehension and word learning strategies that students can carry into content-area classes. Extensive practice in following directions is provided to help students read carefully and attend to details. Students develop strategies for retaining information and relating it to new concepts. Writing skills related to sentence structure, grammar, usage, and mechanics are taught to prepare students for the complex syntax in text. The program develops the thinking tactics used by successful readers—applying prior knowledge, making inferences, and analyzing evidence. Students learn literal and inferential skills necessary to read content-area textbooks and learn new information. Higher order thinking skills are expanded to enable students to read critically, identify fallacies in arguments, and resolve possible inconsistencies encountered in reading. Reasoning and analysis strategies are taught in content-rich contexts, enabling students to transfer newly learned skills to many subject areas.
