Defining an instructional program

Many instructional programs have been developed over the years. Understanding these instructional programs will help you develop a program that fits your current educational and cultural situation. While you may find an existing program that fits your situation closely, you will probably make some modifications in your design.

The instructional program you use will be based on the combination of reading approaches you choose. Although you may create a unique program, your program should be based on a good understanding of reading theory.

Important

The instructional program is part of the overall literacy program. Keep this in mind so that you do not confuse instructional program with literacy program.

Here are the prerequisites for defining an instructional program:

• Review the type of literacy program you have chosen and factors you considered in making that decision.

  See:	Types of literacy programs

• Review Reading and learning research

• Evaluate the financial and human resources available for your program.

  See:	Funding a literacy program Identifying resources needed for a literacy program Literacy personnel

• Evaluate the local school situation and the educational needs of the community.

• Organize an instructional program development team. This may be the same team that was organized previously (to determine the type of literacy program chosen).

• Consider factors that may affect your choice of the reading approaches used in your reading program. To do this, you can consult the following expert system :

  Reading program advisor

• Consider what reading approach might be most appropriate for your situation

  See:	Reading approaches

• Look at different types of instructional programs that have been developed.

  See:	Current instructional programs

• Choose and modify the most appropriate instructional program to fit your situation.
• Develop and produce the instructional materials.
• Train needed instructional and supervisory personnel.
• Implement the instructional program.
• Evaluate the instructional program.

• Instructional programs

See the following online articles for more information:

• Is there one best primer/program design?
• Methodology concerns

• 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: 24 September 1999

© 1999 SIL International