When I talk about Direct and Explicit Instruction, I try to emphasize an important distinction. Big DI refers to Direct Instruction (capital D, capital I): the Engelmann-designed, scripted, highly validated programs with decades of research behind them. These programs are precise, carefully field-tested, and engineered so that success is the default outcome. Big DI is … Continue reading Big DI and little di
The Truth About Lesson Planning
The first truth about lesson planning is a paradox: In a perfect world, it wouldn’t even exist. Designing curriculum and instruction is its own science, and a difficult one at that. When well-designed programs (e.g., Direct Instruction) are in place, the heavy lifting of content analysis, sequencing and integrating of concepts, and field-testing of lessons … Continue reading The Truth About Lesson Planning
S5E01: Greg Ashman on Explicit Teaching and Inquiry Learning
Welcome to Season 5 of Progressively Incorrect! In this special premiere episode, I’m joined by Greg Ashman, a leading advocate for explicit instruction and one of the most important voices in education today. We begin by analyzing a new video from Jo Boaler, where she casts “step-by-step instruction” as the villain in favor of an … Continue reading S5E01: Greg Ashman on Explicit Teaching and Inquiry Learning
Harnessing the Science of Learning
If you haven’t heard of the book Harnessing the Science of Learning: Success Stories to Help Kickstart Your School Improvement … where you been? I was honored to contribute two chapters to Nathaniel Swain’s latest book—a resource that bridges the gap between cognitive science and real-world classroom practice. My chapters focused on cognitive load theory … Continue reading Harnessing the Science of Learning
Voices of Direct Instruction
As I embark on another year of advocacy for evidence and powerful instruction, I’m excited to share a project I started for the National Institute for Direct Instruction: DI Voices. It's a YouTube playlist and podcast filled with raw, bite-sized conversations captured between sessions using just my phone. Real educators, principals, researchers, and NIFDI team … Continue reading Voices of Direct Instruction
Cognitive Bottlenecks and Clarity in Teaching
I recently joined Robyn Young on her podcast Behind the Educator’s Lens for a conversation that felt refreshingly honest. We talked about cognitive science, instructional clarity, and why sometimes the most effective thing a teacher can do is simply… tell students what they need to know. This builds on the work I started at the … Continue reading Cognitive Bottlenecks and Clarity in Teaching
S4E39: Shawn Datchuk on Teaching Sentence Construction with Precision
In this episode of Progressively Incorrect, I’m joined by Dr. Shawn Datchuk, a leading researcher who’s helped shape how we think about sentence construction for struggling learners. Drawing from the literature on Precision Teaching and Direct Instruction, Shawn shares how timed practice and explicit strategies can accelerate mastery in writing, especially for students with learning … Continue reading S4E39: Shawn Datchuk on Teaching Sentence Construction with Precision
Direct Instruction Motivation Part 2: Productive Praise
This series explores a rarely discussed strength of direct instruction: its power to motivate students. While critics often paint explicit teaching as boring or uninspiring, the truth is that its structure, pace, and design motivate kids better than any other system. If momentum is the first ingredient of motivation, the second is acknowledgment. Direct Instruction … Continue reading Direct Instruction Motivation Part 2: Productive Praise
Knowledge Is Back—But Only If We Teach It Well
I recently joined Dylan Wiliam and Patrice Bain on the Knowledge Matters Podcast to talk about retrieval practice, mini whiteboards, and the kinds of instructional moves that actually help students remember what they’ve learned. It was a generous conversation - one that didn’t just skim the surface of techniques, but dug into why they matter. … Continue reading Knowledge Is Back—But Only If We Teach It Well
S4E38: Nathan Lang-Raad on Learning Science and Artificial Intelligence
In this episode of Progressively Incorrect, I’m joined by Nathan Lang-Raad for a wide-ranging conversation that threads together two hot-button topics: artificial intelligence and the science of learning. There’s excitement everywhere—some even say AI will revolutionize teaching and learning. But are we getting ahead of ourselves? Nathan and I explore the real benefits AI can … Continue reading S4E38: Nathan Lang-Raad on Learning Science and Artificial Intelligence
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