Siegfried Engelmann
Siegfried "Zig" Engelmann (November 26, 1931 – February 15, 2019)
Biography
Siegfried Engelmann was born November 26, 1931, in Chicago, Illinois. After graduating with class honors in philosophy from the University of Illinois in 1955, he spent time in a variety of occupations, from working in exploratory oil drilling to being a science editor. While working as a
The Theory of Instruction
In addition to developing curricula, Engelmann wrote 19 books as well as scholarly articles and other reports of his experiments on teaching and learning. In a book called The Theory of Instruction, Engelmann and Douglas Carnine summarized the theoretical basis of the Direct Instruction approach. They analyzed three components of cognitive learning: behavior, communication, and knowledge systems.
The Bereiter-Engelmann Preschool
At the University of Illinois, Bereiter had a grant to accelerate the development of young children, and Engelmann worked with him on that project. In the summer of 1964, they opened a program for "culturally disadvantaged" preschoolers, which became known as the Bereiter-Engelmann Preschool. Their goal was to demonstrate the extent to which disadvantaged children could accelerate their learning beyond the performance of middle class students and thus have a better chance of success in school. At the preschool, Engelmann trained other teachers to work with the children. Engelmann developed scripted lessons that provided the exact wording for teachers to use,[5] sequenced the learning in the most effective manner, and provided guidelines for checking children's responses and providing appropriate corrections and reinforcements. The scripts allowed teachers to focus on their interaction with the children.[2]
Tests of Direct Instruction efficacy
Engelmann authored more than 100 curricular programs based on the principles that were discovered in the Bereiter-Engelmann Preschool. The first programs, written from 1968 through 1970, were called
In subsequent years, the original DISTAR programs were expanded from the original three levels to include six levels. These programs are currently called Reading Mastery and Connecting Math Concepts. Engelmann also developed a multilevel reading program for students beyond the primary level, including adults, who performed lower than others (Corrective Reading Decoding and Corrective Reading Comprehension), programs to teach writing and spelling (Reasoning and Writing and Spelling Mastery), and a videodisc series to teach math and science to middle school students (including Chemistry and Energy and Elementary Earth Science). Programs were also written for parents to use with their children, such as Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons[7] and Give your Child a Superior Mind. Engelmann also developed computer-based programs for parents and others to teach young children reading and math skills (Funnix Beginning Reading and Funnix Beginning Math), as well as programs to teach English speaking skills to non-native English speakers at third grade or older (Direct Instruction Spoken English).
"The Pet Goat"
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Honors and awards
In 1984, Engelmann received an
Selected publications
- Engelmann, Siegfried (1980). Direct instruction. Educational Technology Publications. OCLC 5726536.
- Engelmann, Siegfried; Haddox, Phyllis; Bruner, Elaine (2011). Teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons. New York: Touchstone. OCLC 936068799.
- Engelmann, Siegfried (1992). War against the schools' academic child abuse. Portland: Halcyon House. OCLC 28136730.
- Engelmann, Siegfried; Carnine, Douglas (2016). Theory of instruction: principles and applications. Oregon: NIFDI Press. OCLC 1033604830.
- Engelmann, Siegfried; Engelmann, Therese (1981). Give your child a superior mind: a program for the preschool child. Cornerstone Library. OCLC 7172363.
- Engelmann, Siegfried (1997). Preventing failure in the primary grades. Association for Direct Instruction. OCLC 42879639.
- Engelmann, Siegfried (2007). Teaching needy kids in our backward system: 42 years of trying. ADI Press. OCLC 228301914.
- Engelmann, Siegfried; Steely, Donald G (2004). Inferred functions of performance and learning. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. OCLC 53975202.
See also
- Direct instruction
- Behaviorism (philosophy of education)
- Science Research Associates
References
- ^ Pearson, Noel (2019-02-23). "Siegfried Engelmann's legacy: Teach first and ask questions later". The Weekend Australian. Retrieved 2019-02-23.
- ^ a b c d e Carnine, D. & Silbert, J. Siegfried Engelmann. Encyclopedia of Behavior Modification and Cognitive Behavior Therapy. Sage Publications. http://www.sage-ereference.com/abstract/cbt/n3057.xml
- ^ a b Barbash, S. (2012). Clear Teaching: With Direct Instruction, Siegfried Engelmann Discovered a Better Way of Teaching. Education Consumers Foundation.
- ^ Engelmann, S.E. & Carnine, D. (1982). Theory of instruction: Principles and applications. New York: Irvington Publishers.
- ^ Clowes (June 2001). "If the children aren't learning, we're not teaching." School Reform News. http://arthuracademy.org/home/engelmann-interview.html
- ^ Watkins CL, "Project Follow Through," Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies (1997). http://www.behavior.org/resources/901.pdf
- ^ Kenter (Jan 11, 2013). The readers' writers: Educator, author and professor Siegfried Engelmann. Booneville Daily News.
- ^ Radosh, Daniel (July 26, 2004). "The Pet Goat Approach". The New Yorker.