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Engelmann, Siegfried “Zig”. (2007). Teaching Needy Kids in our Backward System: 42 Years of Trying. Eugene, Oregon: ADI Press Pp. xii + 397         ISBN 978-1-880183-00-7

Reviewed by Jean Stockard
University of Oregon

December 24,2008

Teaching Needy Kids in our Backward System is a fascinating combination of a personal memoir, a description of the scientific basis of a curricular approach, and an insider’s description of political and social tensions related to education in the United States since the 1960s. The author, Siegfried (“Zig”) Engelmann is one of the founders of Direct Instruction, a highly structured curricular approach that has often been central in the so-called “phonics – whole language” debates that continually seem to swirl around education circles. As such, reading Engelmann’s account of both the development of Direct Instruction and the controversies that have ensued provides a fascinating insight into how the issues have evolved over the years as well as the impact on the individuals involved as they have pursued their hope of helping all children, no matter what their backgrounds, succeed in school.

Fittingly, the book begins in the 1960s with the passage of the Civil Rights Act. Engelmann describes the ways in which he developed the basic principles that underlie Direct Instruction, working at the University of Illinois Institute for Research on Exceptional Children as well as with his own children. Quite early in this work, Engelmann reached the conclusion that seems to have undergirded all his endeavors: “if children made mistakes and confused things, … it was probably my fault” (p. 3). In other words, the problem isn’t that children can’t learn; the problem is that teachers aren’t teaching them in appropriate ways. This conviction underlies both the curricular developments, as well as the political conflicts, that ensued over the succeeding decades. Engelmann was convinced – and has provided compelling evidence – that all children can learn if only they are taught appropriately.

The beginning chapters of the book describe the meticulous development of teaching programs and the ways in which they were tested and improved through careful experimentation. Successes are described with all kinds of students, such as preschoolers of disadvantaged backgrounds and students with all types of disabilities, including autistic children and people with brain injuries. Successes are described with subjects as varied as telling time to learning musical pitches. Stories of each new curricular development and insight help the reader understand the scientific precision that has influenced the creation of each Direct Instruction program and how this development has involved extensive testing, refinement and attention to the smallest details. The book is not just a recitation of experiments and technical minutia, but instead reads as a social history, recounting details of various projects, people and places. By describing interventions in rural towns and large cities and the activities of collaborators, students, and teachers, Engelmann helps bring to life what must have been an exhilarating time of curriculum development. His lively descriptions of the participants and their interactions make the reader feel as though she/he were a fly on the wall.

A large proportion of the book is devoted to describing Project Follow Through, the largest educational experiment ever attempted. Project Follow Through began in the late 1960s and continued through much of the 1970s. It involved tens of thousands of students, hundreds of teachers, and dozens of communities. It directly pitted curricula against each other, with programs ranging from the highly structured Direct Instruction approach to those at the other end of the continuum. In a manner that will probably never again be matched, the federal government provided enormous amounts of money to ensure that the programs were well implemented and stringently evaluated, with careful monitoring of testing outcomes. Parents were allowed to choose the interventions that they felt most comfortable implementing in their communities, for this was a time with strong support for community involvement. Twenty communities, from all around the country, chose Direct Instruction as their preferred curriculum, and Engelmann, with long-time collaborator Wes Becker, directed the implementations.

Engelmann is justifiably proud of the outcome. The Direct Instruction programs clearly bested all the other curricula, with students in the DI programs having both the highest results on the various cognitive tests and the highest results on the various affective measures, such as self-esteem and sense of responsibility. Notably, the students in the DI schools scored higher on these affective measures than students who were in the programs that were oriented toward developing these areas. As Engelmann put it, Direct Instruction was the “undisputed winner” of the “horserace.”

The events of the following years will no doubt interest students of the history and politics of education for many years to come. Policy makers clearly did not expect that one model would be superior in both cognitive and affective outcomes, and years of political maneuvering within and without the educational establishment ensued. Engelmann describes all of these events in fascinating detail, including copies of letters and documents that have probably not been published before. Because Engelmann doesn’t hold back in describing the details of the interchanges or the emotions involved, the reader feels as though he/she is living through the events with him. Sadly enough, the ultimate outcome of all the political machinations was that the results of Project Follow Through were pretty much ignored and are now little more than a footnote in many reviews of the literature.

While many of us would be so discouraged by the political ups and downs that we would retreat to grow vegetables in an isolated area of the country, Engelmann’s story does not end with Project Follow Through. Instead, his staunch commitment to helping children learn continued, and the latter part of the book describes the many projects that were developed in the post Follow Through years. Again, the book is replete with stories of communities, teachers, students, and colleagues. Some of the tales are incredibly sad, as teachers and administrators grew weary of political battles and infighting in their attempts to help all children learn. Yet, all the stories are also inspiring, as they convey the dedication that can provide the hope of greater opportunities and provide a testimony to the goodness of people on the front lines of education.

It should be apparent that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Some of the stories are laugh-out-loud funny; others are so touching and sad that one is close to tears. At the same time, the book provides a fascinating look at the history of education over the last four decades that only an insider could provide. The first person account provides insights into the genius behind extremely innovative and effective curriculum development, into the political intrigues and power plays that dominate so much of education, and into the ways in which educational decisions and policy actually develop. Throughout the book, one is struck by the way in which commitment to helping disadvantaged children learn can permeate a career of one educator and inspire many others. I heartily recommend the book to teachers of the history, politics, and sociology of education as well as to those who want to learn more about the development of curriculum.

Note: For full disclosure it is important to note that I, like Engelmann, was a professor at the University of Oregon for many years. Interestingly, however, our paths didn’t cross, and I did not meet him until I recently agreed to help with research activities related to Direct Instruction. At that time I was given a copy of the book to help bring me “up to speed.” I had such fun reading the book, and learned so much, that I thought that others would also enjoy it. Currently I serve as the Director of Research for the National Institute for Direct Instruction.

About the Reviewer

Jean Stockard, PhD
Professor Emerita
Department of Planning, Public Policy, and Management
University of Oregon

Jean Stockard completed undergraduate degrees in mathematics and sociology and masters and doctorate degrees in sociology. She has been on the faculty of the University of Oregon since 1974. Now semi-retired from university teaching, she recently joined the National Institute for Direct Instruction as research director. Her current research projects span areas related to children and youth, public health, and education. Much of her writing on education has focused on gender and education, including experiences of both students and professionals, as well as issues related to enhancing the achievement of disadvantaged students. Email: jeans@uoregon.edu

Copyright is retained by the first or sole author, who grants right of first publication to the Education Review.

Editors: Gene V Glass, Kate Corby, Gustavo Fischman

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