During my time in education I have had the opportunity to work in a variety of settings from large urban districts to universities on tropical islands. Whenever I explain Explicit Direct Instruction (EDI), someone inevitably says, “Isn’t that just good teaching?” If it were just good teaching, I suspect we would see more of it because I do believe we have many good teachers.  EDI is a very intentional approach that is focused on moving students to independence using specific lesson design components and delivery strategies. While it is not rocket science, it is challenging nonetheless.

Well-crafted EDI lessons have a goal of 80% of students achieving 80% correct answers during Independent Practice. EDI lesson design components and lesson delivery strategies are independent of grade level and content. Here is a sample of the content we cover in our EDI Institutes which you can explore on our training calendar at https://rsetasc.pnwboces.org/events/list/.

Teach in ways that help students Learn and Remember

1. Model: Think aloud in 1st person describing your learning strategies
2. Explain: Tell in 2nd or 3rd person what an expert learner does
3. Demonstrate: Use physical objects to make concepts and strategies visible
4. Rule of Two or “I do, You do”: First model the thinking to solve a problem, then have the student immediately work on a similar problem

The DataWorks website at http://dataworks-ed.com/research-edi/ is another great place to read more about EDI.