Program information

Developer and contact

Developed by Dr. Siegfried Engelmann under the title Distar® Reading for use in Project Follow Through as part of the Direct Instruction teaching model. Distributed by SRA/McGraw Hill. 220 East Danieldale Road, DeSoto, TX 75115-2490. Web: www. sraonline.com. Email: SRA_CustomerService@mcgraw-hill.com. Telephone: (201) 512-0909

Scope of use

Early versions of Reading Mastery were developed during the 1960s and 1970s, and have since been widely used. The Reading Mastery program has been updated throughout the years and now exists in two forms: Reading Mastery Classic (K–3) and Reading Mastery Plus (K–6). More than 1 million students in one-third of the nation's schools use a direct instruction program.

Teaching

Reading Mastery uses 30- to 45-minute lessons designed to facilitate teacher-student interactions and active student participation. A typical lesson includes seven to nine short activities that encompass multiple strands of content, such as phonemic awareness, letter-sound correspondence, sounding out words, word recognition, vocabulary, oral reading fluency, and comprehension. The overarching teaching routine repeated throughout the curriculum is composed of the following steps: modeling new content, providing guided practice, and implementing individual practice and application. Lesson scripts act as a guide for teachers. Signals and group responses are used to keep students involved and on task—and to control lesson pacing.

Cost

Student materials include nonconsumable storybooks or textbooks and workbooks. The cost per student ranges from $100 to $150 for the first year of implementation. Replacement workbooks cost between $15 and $25 a student in subsequent years. A full set of teaching materials—a one time purchase—costs between $600 and $900 for each grade level. Additional components include literature collections ($80–$140), Independent Readers (approximately $400 a grade level), and seatwork blackline masters ($57). A videotape series of 12 tapes ($145) supplements consultant-led professional development ($1,500 a day).