Our Teaching Method – Direct Instruction – Writing
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 writing programs that we teach, all of which are available for our online teaching service:
Reasoning and Writing
Reasoning and Writing integrates higher-level thinking with writing instruction to help students think logically and analytically, and express ideas efficiently and effectively. Early levels focus on writing sentences and parallel stories about familiar characters to build an awareness of logical connections and narrative structures. Later levels help students develop consistent procedures for writing, editing, and revising their work, and critiquing their work as a reader would to eliminate possible sources of confusion. Relevant practice in mechanics, usage, and grammar is provided to refine editing skills and make students accountable for checking their own compositions. A solid foundation for writing is built by teaching skills such as sentence structure, subject/verb agreement, punctuation, capitalization, subjects and predicates, and writing passages that have a main idea and supporting details. Progressive changes in writing assignments incorporate skills taught throughout the program. Careful teaching of analysis and logic skills—including drawing conclusions from evidence, and identifying misleading claims, inadequate arguments, inconsistencies, and contradictions— improves the way students communicate in all subject areas. Students are equipped with everything they need to write strong sentences and paragraphs that are organized, focused, connected, and polished.
Expressive Writing
Expressive Writing is a corrective program that helps students learn to express ideas by writing sentences, paragraphs, and longer compositions that articulate precisely what the writer wishes to say. The program is ideal for students who need help getting started, write incomplete sentences, omit important parts of stories, edit ineffectively or not at all. Essential writing skills are addressed with four instructional strands: mechanics, sentence writing, paragraph and story writing, and editing. In every lesson, students learn to write with structure, coherence, unity, and correct grammar and punctuation, improving the overall quality of their writing. Carefully sequenced instruction moves students from simple sentence and paragraph writing to composing and editing sophisticated stories with varied sentence types. Students learn to communicate clearly by planning what they want to say, write and correctly punctuate compound and complex sentences, and produce paragraphs with a topic sentence, supporting details, and a conclusion. Students are equipped with the foundational skills needed to become confident, proficient writers.
