Exemplary Center for Reading Instruction (ECRI)

Abstract

ECRI provides consulting and training for individual classrooms, grade levels or entire schools in implementing a direct instruction model in language arts. The ECRI model is applied to and adapted for existing instructional materials. From these materials structured lessons are developed to teach an integrated curriculum of phonics, oral and silent reading, comprehension, study skill, spelling, literature, and creative and expository writing. ECRI also includes rate building, mastery learning and behavior management components. Staff receive pre-service and ongoing in-service training.
Teaching is adjusted as needed based on student performance. Evaluations and validations starting in 1975 show significantly higher achievement than non-ECRI schools with the most recent national evaluation producing reading and language gains in K-12 exceeding an average of two years gain per year.