 Parents looking for direct instruction materials and programs should look into the Hooked on Phonics series and other related products.
Critics argue that direct instruction is nothing but canned teaching with little room for the personalization of lesson plans. To these critics, schools that require direct instruction are handcuffing their best teachers and providing a crutch to their worst ones. This argument fails to address the fact that good teachers will be successful with any lesson plans, including direct instruction.
The effectiveness of direct instruction is supported by substantial research, but there are some recent longitudinal studies which raise doubts about its effectiveness. In 2006, a three-year study of teaching and learning showed that flexible methods of instruction like Montessori and Waldorf were more effective than direct instruction. Still, it is one of the few scientifically verifiable ways to improve a school’s educational curriculum. This has resulted in widespread support of the system and its worldwide adoption in public schools.
The most salient example of this widespread support is Project Follow Through, the most expensive federally-funded educational program ever. It was intended to continue the education of preschoolers exiting Head Start programs. The program was funded from 1968 until 1995, when funding was stopped due to data revealing that there was little or no benefit from the program. However, Project Follow Through did offer the first ever clearly documented empirical proof that the Direct Instruction model was the most effective method of teaching reading, arithmetic, language, spelling, and positive self-image. Direct instruction was the only method out of twenty-two forms of instruction that consistently produced positive results.
Direction instruction is, by far, the most widely used method of teaching. Recent studies cast doubts about whether it is the best way to teach, but it is empirically proven to be able to consistently raise the average test scores of a school. This has resulted in the success of the teaching method and its widespread use in the classroom.
The theory of multiple intelligences was developed in 1983 by a psychologist based on testing done regarding the effectiveness of IQ Tests. His research showed that IQ tests are a poor indicator of future success in life. Since IQ testing is primarily concerned with vocabulary, spatial relationships, pattern recognition, and other cognitive tasks, researchers hypothesized on what a complete model of intelligence testing might look like.
According to the theory, there are eight types of intelligences. Each type is partially or completely independent of each other. For instance, though it stands to reason that a highly capable musical performer is likely to have a higher than average IQ, researchers hypothesize that this is not a foregone conclusion.
The following table illustrates the different types of intelligences described in the original research.
A major criticism of the theory is that it has never been empirically tested. Some critics argue it is not falsifiable. What do you think? Is there a way to test a person on all eight types of intelligence? 