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Theory of Instruction: Principles and Applications
Newly formatted. Includes new Introduction by Engelmann and Carnine. In the book Theory of Principles and Applications, Siegfried Engelmann and co-author Douglas Carnine describe the theory underlying the development of Direct Instruction curriculums. Engelmann and Carnine not only spell out in detail the scientific and logical basis on which their theory is based, but provide a multitude of in-depth descriptions and guidelines for applying this theory to a wide range of curricula. This book will help the reader understand why the Direct Instruction programs authored by Engelmann and his colleagues have proven uniquely effective with students from all social and economic backgrounds, and how the guidelines based on the theory can be applied to a wide range of instructional challenges, from designing curricula for disadvantaged preschoolers to teaching algebraic concepts to older students.
- GenresEducationPsychology
499 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1982
28 people are currently reading
122 people want to read
About the author
Siegfried Engelmann
782 books25 followersSiegfried "Zig" Engelmann was an American educator and pioneer in the field of instructional design, best known as the co-developer of Direct Instruction (DI), a highly structured, research-based teaching method. As Professor Emeritus of Education at the University of Oregon and Director of the National Institute for Direct Instruction, Engelmann authored more than 100 curricula and several influential books. His work has profoundly shaped how reading, math, language, and reasoning skills are taught, particularly to struggling and disadvantaged students.
Engelmann began his career outside education, working in advertising and editing before turning his focus to how children learn. He initially studied how reinforcement affects learning and began testing educational strategies with preschoolers, including his own children. In 1964, he joined the University of Illinois, collaborating with Carl Bereiter on what became known as the Bereiter-Engelmann Preschool. There, he developed scripted lessons and systematic techniques to accelerate the learning of "culturally disadvantaged" children.
In 1970, Engelmann moved to the University of Oregon, where he expanded DI and helped launch the DISTAR (Direct Instruction System for Teaching and Remediation) programs in reading, math, and language. These materials were later implemented in Project Follow Through, the largest educational experiment in U.S. history. DISTAR produced the highest student gains in reading, math, and language development among all models tested.
Engelmann's programs evolved into Reading Mastery, Connecting Math Concepts, Corrective Reading, Reasoning and Writing, Spelling Mastery, and others. He also developed resources for parents, including Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, and created computer-based programs such as Funnix and Direct Instruction Spoken English.
His 1982 book Theory of Instruction, co-authored with Douglas Carnine, laid the theoretical foundation for DI, explaining how learners form generalizations from examples and how instructional design must guide that process deliberately.
Engelmann's impact extended to national recognition. He received an honorary doctorate from Western Michigan University, the Fred S. Keller Award from the APA, and was named among the most influential figures in special education. He also gained unexpected attention when President George W. Bush was reading The Pet Goat, an Engelmann-authored story, during the events of September 11, 2001.
Siegfried Engelmann remained a passionate advocate for effective, evidence-based instruction throughout his life. His legacy continues through the enduring success of the Direct Instruction model and the thousands of educators and students it has empowered worldwide.
Engelmann began his career outside education, working in advertising and editing before turning his focus to how children learn. He initially studied how reinforcement affects learning and began testing educational strategies with preschoolers, including his own children. In 1964, he joined the University of Illinois, collaborating with Carl Bereiter on what became known as the Bereiter-Engelmann Preschool. There, he developed scripted lessons and systematic techniques to accelerate the learning of "culturally disadvantaged" children.
In 1970, Engelmann moved to the University of Oregon, where he expanded DI and helped launch the DISTAR (Direct Instruction System for Teaching and Remediation) programs in reading, math, and language. These materials were later implemented in Project Follow Through, the largest educational experiment in U.S. history. DISTAR produced the highest student gains in reading, math, and language development among all models tested.
Engelmann's programs evolved into Reading Mastery, Connecting Math Concepts, Corrective Reading, Reasoning and Writing, Spelling Mastery, and others. He also developed resources for parents, including Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, and created computer-based programs such as Funnix and Direct Instruction Spoken English.
His 1982 book Theory of Instruction, co-authored with Douglas Carnine, laid the theoretical foundation for DI, explaining how learners form generalizations from examples and how instructional design must guide that process deliberately.
Engelmann's impact extended to national recognition. He received an honorary doctorate from Western Michigan University, the Fred S. Keller Award from the APA, and was named among the most influential figures in special education. He also gained unexpected attention when President George W. Bush was reading The Pet Goat, an Engelmann-authored story, during the events of September 11, 2001.
Siegfried Engelmann remained a passionate advocate for effective, evidence-based instruction throughout his life. His legacy continues through the enduring success of the Direct Instruction model and the thousands of educators and students it has empowered worldwide.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
May 16, 2022
An excellent teaching manual. This book is a bit of a slog, but that is by design, it is thorough. Engelmann is a stickler for detail. He aims to design his curriculum to use faultless communication, that is communication designed to convey only one interpretation. This is important for teachers because we want our students to understand what we are teaching, we don't want misconceptions to develop.
As part of his process, teachers should expose students to a multitude of examples and students should have a plethora of opportunities to apply their knowledge to new situations. To me, what is so exciting about this is that today we know that exposing students to multiple examples and having them make multiple applications of concepts plays a fundamental role in transfer of learning, something Engelmann calls transformation sequences.
Every single method Engelmann uses in the book is backed by research. However, this is where I have a criticism. Towards the back of the book, he has two chapters that function as summaries of research backing his methods. I would have preferred for there to be more citations in the body of the book and most of the citations are from himself or Doug Carnine. This doesn't mean the research is bad, but it would have been nice for him to use a more diverse set of sources. However, this may not have been possible, since he was a trailblazer. Take my criticism here with a grain of salt.
He ends the book by making his philosophy of education explicit. I would have liked this section to be a book. It was fascinating. For clarity's sake, Engelmann was not a behaviorist and was concerned with helping all students, especially struggling ones. The previous two points are common misunderstandings many bring to Engelmann's creation, Direct Instruction.
This isn't an exciting read because it is a teaching manual. However, you won't find a better one out there. Engelmann has thought deeply about how to apply the research to teaching and on how to implement programs in a teacher and student friendly manner.
As part of his process, teachers should expose students to a multitude of examples and students should have a plethora of opportunities to apply their knowledge to new situations. To me, what is so exciting about this is that today we know that exposing students to multiple examples and having them make multiple applications of concepts plays a fundamental role in transfer of learning, something Engelmann calls transformation sequences.
Every single method Engelmann uses in the book is backed by research. However, this is where I have a criticism. Towards the back of the book, he has two chapters that function as summaries of research backing his methods. I would have preferred for there to be more citations in the body of the book and most of the citations are from himself or Doug Carnine. This doesn't mean the research is bad, but it would have been nice for him to use a more diverse set of sources. However, this may not have been possible, since he was a trailblazer. Take my criticism here with a grain of salt.
He ends the book by making his philosophy of education explicit. I would have liked this section to be a book. It was fascinating. For clarity's sake, Engelmann was not a behaviorist and was concerned with helping all students, especially struggling ones. The previous two points are common misunderstandings many bring to Engelmann's creation, Direct Instruction.
This isn't an exciting read because it is a teaching manual. However, you won't find a better one out there. Engelmann has thought deeply about how to apply the research to teaching and on how to implement programs in a teacher and student friendly manner.
Displaying 1 of 1 review