Teaching by Script or Improvisation?

What's the Policy?

Schools and school districts around the country have adopted or considered standardized programs for teaching reading, such as DISTAR, Success for All, and Reading Mastery, that have excellent records in promoting reading success among children but relegate the teacher to a functionary role devoid of creativity.

How Does It Affect Teachers?

Instead of giving teachers suggestions and guidelines on how to use the materials provided, prescriptive reading programs are actually scripted, with specific instructions for how teachers should proceed, including what to do and say. If a student's response is A, then you are to go to question 2; if his response is B, then you should go to question 3. Teachers have almost no flexibility to deviate from the program's procedures and questions.

What Are the Pros?

Several of the most well-known reading programs are very effective and can boast proven track records of helping children, especially those from impoverished backgrounds, to learn to read. One elementary school principal in Houston, for example, brought his low-income students from near the bottom in reading and math to ranking twelfth among his district's 182 elementary schools. He attributes the success to implementing the DISTAR program, a highly scripted direct-instruction program.

What are the Cons?

A Rice University researcher criticizes these programs as dishonoring the professional craft of teaching. "Educators do not find in this program, or any other package, the depth and breadth and variety of reading styles that they need to get all their kids to read and to find reading purposeful and fun."

Teachers who use these programs are not expected to diagnose students' difficulties, matching their interests and styles with materials selected by the teacher. In contrast, critics suggest, the teacher's role in these programs is to do what the program dictates, with little difference between the master teacher and a bright teaching aide.

What Do You Think?

1. What position do you take regarding the use of these prescriptive programs? What additional information would you like to have about these programs?
2. What would you do if your school or school district adopted one of these programs, even if you were personally opposed to them?
3. What position do you think the parents of your elementary-aged children would take regarding this issue?

Source: William Raspberry, "Classroom Riffs," The Washington Post, June 25, 1999, p. A29.

For more information on prescriptive curriculum materials, visit these web sites, then reflect on the questions that follow.

Web Links:

Success for All

http://www.successforall.net/

Learn more about the philosophy and materials of the Success for All program.

SRA

http://www.sra-4kids.com/index.php

SRA is the company that publishes the Reading Mastery program materials, as well as other scripted direct instruction materials, such as Distar math.

Mediocrity in the Classroom

http://www.edweek.org/ew/ewstory.cfm?slug=02lasley.h22&keywords=scripted%20

The authors of this 2002 Education Week editorial essay list scripted instruction as one of the "negative influences" that discourages high quality teaching.

When Standardization Replaces Innovation

http://www.edweek.org/ew/newstory.cfm?slug=34arey.h21=scripted%20

The author of this 2002 Education Week editorial essay describes ways in which teacher's innovation and autonomy are repressed and suggests that such practices, including the use of scripted instruction, can have negative consequences.

Math the Saxon Way is Catching On

http://www.edweek.org/ew/newstory.cfm?slug=33saxon.h21=scripted%20

This 2002 article from Education Week describes the scripted Saxon math program and the reasons supporters like it and opponents object to it.

If It Isn't Broken…

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2001/05/03/ED201892.DTL

The author of this 2001 editorial from the San Francisco Chronicle describes a school where teachers have pleaded with district officials to be allowed to keep the scripted Saxon math program because it works so well for their students.

For Reflection:

1. Are there situations in which creative, innovative teaching might include choosing a scripted instruction program? Why or why not? If so, what would these situations be?
2. Do you feel that the most highly qualified prospective teachers are turned away from the field by the prospect of limits to their autonomy? Why or why not? How do such prospects affect your interest in teaching?
3. Are higher scores on standardized tests the only measure by which the success of scripted instruction programs should be gauged? What other result are important?