Choosing and modifying an instructional program

Choosing and modifying an instructional program

by	Leah B. Walter
	Glenys Waters (contributor)

Introduction

Your instructional program must fit your situation.

You may choose

to modify some parts of an existing program
to develop different teaching materials for an existing program
to combine parts from various existing programs, or
to design your own unique program.

Your instructional program development team will need to make decisions regarding the appropriate modifications to be made.

Note:

More information on some of these subjects will be provided in future versions of the Literacy bookshelf. This is indicated by the unlinked titles you will find below.

Prerequisites

Here are some prerequisites before you choose and modify an instructional program:

You need to review with the team what reading research says about reading acquisition and discuss its implications for your program.
You need to review with the program development team the instructional approach commonly used in the community and nation and any existing policies about the kind of approach that should be used.
You need to review the following modules:

Tip:

The instructional program is part of the overall literacy program. Try to keep this in mind as you read so that you do not confuse instructional program with literacy program.

Things to do

Here are the things to do when you choose and modify an instructional program:

Discuss the approach or combination of approaches that might be used in your instructional program.

Note:
Every situation is unique and the reading approach used for teaching reading and writing (usually a primer) in your reading program will probably need to be modified.
Review: Current instructional programs .
Discuss with the program development team which instructional program would best suit your situation and how to modify the program.

Note:
Make certain the instructional program and primer teach all of the skills necessary for a person to learn how to read and write.

See:
What is a literacy skill?
Modify an existing program or build your own as appropriate. Modules under construction for a future version of the Literacy bookshelf:
- Modifying an existing instructional program
- Designing your own instructional program
Modify the materials as appropriate. Modules under construction for a future version of the Literacy bookshelf:
- Modifying a reading approach
- Designing your own reading approach
- Modified Gudschinsky reading approach
Develop and produce instructional materials.

See also
	Instructional programs
	A comparison of eclectic and language experience approaches to reading in a vernacular preschool Is there one best primer/program design? Reading theories and methods and their relationship to cognitive and cultural learning styles Methods of teaching reading for preliterate cultures

Context for this page:

Task module: Choosing and modifying an instructional program, by Leah B. Walter and Glenys Waters (contributor)
In task module: Defining an instructional program, by Leah B. Walter, Ken Boothe (editor), and Glenys Waters (editor)
In task module: Developing an instructional program, by Kenneth A. Boothe (contributor), Patricia M. Davis (contributor), Trudy K. Stewart (general editor), Leah B. Walter (contributor), Glenys Waters (contributor), and Adelle R. Walter (illustrator)
In task module: Implementing a literacy program, by Carole P. Spaeth (compiler)
In modular book: Implement a literacy program, by Carole P. Spaeth (compiler) and Leah B. Walter (compiler)
In bookshelf: Literacy

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 4.0, published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 1999. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 25 October 1999