The Direct Instruction Podcast How Are Educators Worldwide Using Direct Instruction? with Jessica Jessica Colleu Terradas and Jon Owen
Welcome back to The Direct Instruction Podcast — I’m your host, Dr. Zach Groshell. If you’re new here, this show is about Big DI — Direct Instruction as a science of teaching. We look at real implementation, talk with people running DI in schools around the world, and get practical about delivering faultlessly designed curriculum programs. If this is your first time tuning in, take a look through the back catalogue — there’s a growing library of conversations with DI implementers, trainers, and practitioners.
I’ve just returned from the National Direct Instruction Conference and Institutes in Eugene, Oregon — packed sessions, amazing block parties, and the kind of hallway conversations that stay with you. I filmed a few mini YouTube reflections and quick interviews, and those links are in the show notes.
If you’re implementing DI or thinking about getting started, I strongly recommend reaching out to NIFDI — the National Institute for Direct Instruction — at www.nifdi.org. They are the gold standard for DI coaching, training, and ongoing implementation support.
With the momentum still fresh from Eugene, today we launch a special two-part international episode with two guests doing serious Direct Instruction work across the globe:
First up is Jessica Colleu Terradas, joining us from Australia. She supports DI at a system level, and she’s been leading Spelling Mastery and other literacy work using Direct Instruction programs. She’s deeply involved in helping schools build teacher precision and DI fidelity in real classrooms.
Then we’ll hear from Jon Owen in the UK, who leads Corrective Mathematics groups and works with schools to bring DI interventions to students. He’s part of a growing movement to deliver high-fidelity DI math instruction to learners who’ve been underserved by traditional approaches, and we get into what that rollout looks like in a UK context.
It’s a sharp look at how Engelmann’s design travels, adapts, and stays rooted in student outcomes across very different systems. Let’s get into all this and more with Jessica and Jon.
Can’t Get Enough Content?
Over on Progressively Incorrect, we have a powerful episode with two of the most influential voices in literacy education today—Linda Diamond and Paige Pullen. With decades of experience in education and Direct Instruction, Linda and Paige bring clarity to the evidence-based education movement and the science of reading in particular.