I’m thrilled to share a new project straight from the heart of this year’s National Direct Instruction Conference and Institutes — a new YouTube playlist I’ve put together called DI Voices.

Armed with just my phone and a little persistence, I tracked down educators between sessions (no small feat at this amazing, high-energy event!) to capture bite-sized, on-the-ground conversations about what Direct Instruction looks like in real schools, with real students, and real support.

In this mini-episode, the team from Athena Trust joins us from the UK to share how DI Math is fueling huge gains for their students — and how fidelity and support make the difference.

Learn more about NIFDI support: www.nifdi.org

These mini-episodes aren’t slick or scripted — they’re raw, real, and packed with insight. You’ll hear from teachers, principals, researchers, and NIFDI team members who are doing the work and generously sharing their experiences.

Watch the playlist here: DI Voices on YouTube

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I’m thrilled to share a new project straight from the heart of this year’s National Direct Instruction Conference and Institutes — a new YouTube playlist I’ve put together called DI Voices.

In this mini-episode, principal Sean Duncan reflects on his school’s success with DI reading — and how that’s driving momentum for DI math, with NIFDI’s support.

Learn more about NIFDI support: www.nifdi.org

Armed with just my phone and a little persistence, I tracked down educators between sessions (no small feat at this amazing, high-energy event!) to capture bite-sized, on-the-ground conversations about what Direct Instruction looks like in real schools, with real students, and real support.

These mini-episodes aren’t slick or scripted — they’re raw, real, and packed with insight. You’ll hear from teachers, principals, researchers, and NIFDI team members who are doing the work and generously sharing their experiences.

Watch the playlist here: DI Voices on YouTube

Spotify
Apple
YouTube
Amazon

I’m thrilled to share a new project straight from the heart of this year’s National Direct Instruction Conference and Institutes — a new YouTube playlist I’ve put together called DI Voices.

Armed with just my phone and a little persistence, I tracked down educators between sessions (no small feat at this amazing, high-energy event!) to capture bite-sized, on-the-ground conversations about what Direct Instruction looks like in real schools, with real students, and real support.

These mini-episodes aren’t slick or scripted — they’re raw, real, and packed with insight. You’ll hear from teachers, principals, researchers, and NIFDI team members who are doing the work and generously sharing their experiences.

In this mini-episode, Alisa Kerr shares how data drives Direct Instruction — and how NIFDI’s ongoing support helps her make sense of it all.

Learn more about NIFDI support: www.nifdi.org

Watch the playlist here: DI Voices on YouTube

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Hello everyone, and welcome back to the Direct Instruction Podcast. I’m Dr. Zach Groshell, and today I’m joined by two outstanding leaders in the DI community: Bonnie Grossen and Kurt Engelmann.

Bonnie Grossen has supported schoolwide Direct Instruction implementations across a wide range of settings—from urban districts to rural communities, both in the U.S. and internationally. In this episode, she shares key lessons from supporting Direct Instruction at the Arthur Academy Charter Schools.

We’re also joined by Kurt Engelmann, returning from Episode 1, who brings sharp insights into the real-world execution of Direct Instruction.

Together, Bonnie and Kurt walk us through what full-immersion, schoolwide DI really looks like. We explore how the model originated, how it adapts across grade levels, how it aligns with Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), and the critical role of leadership in sustaining success. We also talk about realistic expectations and the most common mistakes schools and districts make when implementing DI.

This podcast is brought to you by NIFDI, the National Institute for Direct Instruction. NIFDI partners with schools around the world to support high-fidelity DI implementation. I’ll be bringing this podcast to their annual conference in Eugene, Oregon, summer 2025—and I hope to see you there! Visit www.nifdi.org for details.

If you find value in these conversations, help us spread the word by leaving a 5-star rating on your favorite podcast platform. And now, let’s roll the tape on my conversation with Bonnie Grossen and Kurt Engelmann.

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This podcast is brought to you by NIFDI, or the National Institute for Direct Instruction. NIFDI supports schools all over the world to implement Direct Instruction with fidelity, and it has invited me to bring this podcast to their conference in Eugene OR in the summer of 2025. You can find more information about how NIFDI kickstarts and enhances Direct Instruction implementations by going to www.nifdi.org, and I hope you register for the conference and come see me do my thing at my sessions.

Kris Boulton is a teacher who became inspired by Engelmann and Theory of Instruction. Listen to him talk about how he thinks about DI principles in this insightful episode of Progressively Incorrect.

Hello everyone, and welcome back to the Direct Instruction Podcast. I’m Dr. Zach Groshell, and today I’m excited to share a conversation with three leading voices in education: Stephanie Stollar, Diane Kinder, and Marcy Stein.

In this episode, we dive deep into how Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) can align with Direct Instruction to create more effective, scalable systems for all learners. From implementation challenges to the critical importance of fidelity, this trio brings insight, experience, and clarity to questions that often get muddied in theory but matter immensely in practice.

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This podcast is brought to you by NIFDI, or the National Institute for Direct Instruction. NIFDI supports schools all over the world to implement Direct Instruction with fidelity, and it has invited me to bring this podcast to their conference in Eugene OR in the summer of 2025. You can find more information about how NIFDI kickstarts and enhances Direct Instruction implementations by going to www.nifdi.org, and I hope you register for the conference and come see me do my thing at my sessions.

Side by Side Coaching

Partnerships

I highly recommend listening to this VERY popular episode of Progressively Incorrect with Stephanie Stollar, and considering getting in touch with her to join her excellent Reading Science Academy.

Hello everyone and welcome back to the Direct Instruction podcast. My name is Dr. Zach Groshell, and today I am excited to be bringing you an interview with another DI legend, Geoff Colvin. Geoff will take us through the functions of student behavior, and the intersection of a well-managed classroom and a well-designed lesson.    

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This podcast is brought to you by NIFDI, or the National Institute for Direct Instruction. NIFDI supports schools all over the world to implement Direct Instruction with fidelity, and it has invited me to bring this podcast to their conference in Eugene OR in the summer of 2025. You can find more information about how NIFDI kickstarts and enhances Direct Instruction implementations by going to www.nifdi.org, and I hope you register for the conference and come see me do my thing at my sessions.

Watch celeb mom Kat Von D use the program: Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons https://t.co/YArpFEZVOY

Get hands-on training in the proven Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons method!#NIFDIConf2025

In addition, I wanted to share with you this recording of the Progressively Incorrect podcast with Laura Stam. Laura found out about Direct Instruction through this podcast, and has found success using Reading Mastery and Connecting Math Concepts in her elementary classroom.

Hello everyone and welcome back to the Direct Instruction podcast. My name is Dr. Zach Groshell, and today I am excited to be bringing you an interview with Randi Saulter and Ann Baum. Randi and Ann are two passionate special education teachers who will take us through what Zig Engelmann called the “picky, picky” details of implementing DI in special education classrooms. This episode was probably my favorite of the podcast so far. It’s chock full of insights, bursting with humor and common sense, and I hope it brings you a lot of joy today.

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This podcast is brought to you by NIFDI, or the National Institute for Direct Instruction. NIFDI supports schools all over the world to implement Direct Instruction with fidelity, and it has invited me to bring this podcast to their conference in Eugene OR in the summer of 2025. You can find more information about how NIFDI kickstarts and enhances Direct Instruction implementations by going to www.nifdi.org, and I hope you register for the conference and come see me do my thing at my sessions.

In addition, I wanted to share with you this recording of the Progressively Incorrect podcast with special guest, Doug Carnine.

Hello everyone and welcome back to the Direct Instruction podcast. My name is Dr. Zach Groshell, and today I am excited to bring you an interview with Jan Hasbrouck, the keynote speaker at NIFDI’s 2025 National Direct Instruction Conference and Institutes. Dr. Hasbrouck is a renowned researcher and author with a distinguished career dedicated to improving literacy and educational outcomes. Dr. Hasbrouck’s expertise in reading fluency and her involvement with Project Follow Through and Direct Instruction have been pivotal in improving results in schools across the country. Dr. Hasbrouck is also a founding member of Read Washington, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing professional development based on the science of reading.

Speaking of the National Direct Instruction Conference this summer, I should mention that this podcast is brought to you by NIFDI, or the National Institute for Direct Instruction. NIFDI supports schools all over the world to implement Direct Instruction with fidelity, and it has invited me to bring this podcast to their conference in Eugene, OR, in the summer of 2025. You can find more information about the conference by going to www.nifdi.org, and I encourage you to register for what is the most comprehensive DI training available anywhere.

In addition, I wanted to share with you recordings of presentations that Marcy Stein and I did in Chile to a packed auditorium of over 1,000 educators. Both talks speak to the power of Direct Instruction. 

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Hello everyone and welcome back to the Direct Instruction podcast. My name is Dr. Zach Groshell, and I am excited to be bringing you an interview with Dr. Kathy Madigan all about Higher Education and Direct Instruction. Kathy has been a teacher, principal, college professor and curriculum coordinator. She co-founded the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence and served as the Executive Director for the National Council on Teacher Quality. Previously, she has worked as the Vice President for Advantage Schools where she was responsible for curriculum, behavior, staff development and principal supervision in 16 schools the US that used Direct Instruction.

This podcast is brought to you by NIFDI, or the National Institute for Direct Instruction. I think this is the perfect time to announce that I will be bringing my talents and the Direct Instruction podcast to Eugene, OR in the summer of 2025 for NIFDI’s National Direct Instruction Conference and Institutes. You can find more information about the conference by going to http://www.nifdi.org, and I encourage you to register for what is the most comprehensive DI training available anywhere.  

In addition, I wanted to share with you recordings of presentations that Marcy Stein and I did in Chile to a packed auditorium of over 1,000 educators. Both talks speak to the power of Direct Instruction. 

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Hello everyone and welcome back to the Direct Instruction podcast. My name is Dr. Zach Groshell, and today I am excited to be bringing you a glimpse into my classroom for an unscripted coaching session with Tamara Bressi. Tamara is an experienced Direct Instruction teacher, trainer and instructional coach. I had the honor of working with Tamara over the course of multiple training sessions to develop my implementation of Corrective Mathematics for a middle school intervention context. This episode is structured so that you first hear a recording of me teaching prior to receiving any training, followed by some feedback from Tamara. Then, we will listen to a “post-training” recording, where Tamara and I discuss some of the shifts I have made in implementing Direct Instruction with greater precision.

This episode is brought to you by NIFDI, or the National Institute for Direct Instruction. Our guest today is one of the trainers for the Academy on Becoming an Effective Direct Instruction Trainer, which is an integral component of the National Direct Instruction Conference held in Eugene, OR. You can find more information about the conference by going to http://www.nifdi.org, and I encourage you to register for what is the most comprehensive DI training available anywhere.  

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