Good [morning | afternoon | evening | whatever?], Dear Readers. Once again you are receiving the weekly newsletter for Special Education Today. The newsletter—and, indeed, the entire enterprise—is in its sixth year.
This newsletter is for the week that began 26 October 2026. This article is the 1870th in the history of SET. Some articles have actually been read more than a few 1000 times, but this one is in front of you for the first time.
The newsletter has a regular structure and this issue adheres to it. There is a photo followed by notes about the status of the community. Those two sections are followed by two more sections: a list of posts from the past week and, in turn, an editorial. Please be advised that no AI was abused, annihilated, or even used in writing this newsletter…well, unless I missed something.
Let’s get going…and here we go!1
Photo
At this time of year, I often have taken and shared photos of decorations for the season that I have seen during my (once) regular walks in my neighborhood. I have not been walking2 and, thus, have not had the opportunities to photograph the inventive and intriguing ornamentations and enhancements my neighbors have on display in their yards.3
However, there is a somewhat ghoulish display right outside our mudroom door. It is not even an ornament purchased at a nearby business. It is, just a real (no joke) skull.
Well, let me be a little more accurate in describing this object. It is some parts of the bones of a goat. Over the years that it has been on the porch, it has suffered some indignities. A year or two ago, we noticed that some living creatures had apparently removed some of the bones in the nose area. More recently, we noticed that some part of the jaw had been extracted, and part of it was left (as shown in the photo).
Sorry if this shocks any Dear Readers’ sensibilities. I am not seeking squeamish responses. If it does bug you, just scroll ahead. Forget about it. Go look around your own neighborhood for actual decorations!
Status update
There was one new subscriber who gained access to the full archives and the authority to comment on posts this week. Welcome to Lisa H. of CT (US). Lisa joined the 100 or so subscribers who have similar subscriptions. And, speaking of those folks, thanks of to Chen S., Judith H., Lori M., Sonja de B., Melissa J.-B., Jackie R., Micky D., Stephanie A.-O., Monica Mc.-S., Jennifer S., Sunil G., Nour A., Em D., Jamie J., Mike C., Gerry W., Vince C., Laura M., Bill R., Joel M., Joel I., Bev J., Marilyn F., Jim P., Vicki W., Lori M., Roberta B., Linda L., Bob P., Jane B., Tina C., Debbie R., Clay K., Michael K., Judith H., Larry M., and Susan O. for joining or renewing recently.
There were about a dozen new free subscribers to SET over the past week. Folks seem to be finding our little island of news, facts, and fun. I have to suspect that the new free riders found out about SET from some of the > 1320 of us who are sunbathing (even though it is a getting a bit cooler here at SET Central) on the island, sipping beverages with little umbrellas in them, listening to fine local musicians, etc.
Thanks to all of y’all who are reading the posts. And thanks for showing your engagement by dropping “likes,” “💚,” or what-have-yous.
Meanwhile, please keep an eye out for new notes on the blogs of fellow SET subscribers. They write, of course, on the particular topics that they cover, but their posts may overlap with the interests of we SET folks. Here are links to a few (only some) of them:
Callie O.’s Special Education Action
Carl H.’s The Learning Dispatch
Emily K.’s Learn with Dr. Emily
Holly K.’s The Bell Ringer
Sam Peter’s Built Different
Tom Zirpoli’s (…uhm…) Tom Zirpoli
Sandra Fraser’s Multimodal Learning & Autism
I especially want to call readers’ attention to a new kid on the beach. This past week, Kurt Engelmann (yes, you may have connected that last name correctly) launched a pseudonymous ‘stack that will be devoted to Direct Instruction (yes, “Big DI”). I first met Kurt a gazillion4 years ago when he was quite young (okay, less hyperbolically, it was actually about 1974-75), but I’ve gotten to know him as a devoted professional in the years (starting around the turn of the millennium?) while he has been working with the National Institute for Direct Instruction. I highly recommend subscribing to his ‘stack.
I dearly wish that I could talk about discussions that we are having over on the Chat section of SET, but there is little happening over there. I think it presents a means for us to have brief discussions of current events and such. Thanks to Jannie KT and Betsy T. for contributing there. Come on over and add a note or ask a question.
SETlets (that is, the “Table of Contents”)
SET is a source about the education of children with disabilities. At SET we are also quite concerned about supporting the families of individuals with disabilities who much navigate special education practices, policies, research, and lives of our shared kids. That’s is a broad charge, no?
This past week reflects SET’s eclectic portfolio. Dear Readers read (!) posts about policy, teaching, public opinion, research, and more. We hope that the SET articles proved to be of value to you, Dear Readers.
Here is the list with the one post for the Very Special Dear Readers in the first clump and the public posts in the second. Note that no authors’ initials are in brackets after posts because I wrote all of them this week.
For the paid peeps
The educational research evidence we need—No. 1: Evidence-based means...uhm, what?
Out in the wild
Special Education Today newsletter 6(17): What happened over the last week?
US NPR: Special education teachers’ jobs—1: What did a group of special education teachers have to say about the beginning or their school years?
The Arc about changes in SNAP: What might families need to know about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
Sold a Story 2: We have success in Houston: What happened when a school used Direct Instruction to teach effectively?
M. Kennedy gave the CLD lecture: How about our colleague having this honor?
K. Tavalin Webinar on US policy post-2026 election: What are the implications of the US election for current coming activities?
K. Engelmann launched a blog devoted to Big DI: What do I hope will be available there?
Of course, please be advised that not all of the posts are available to the general public. Free readers cannot have access to the first item in the first lists. That one is reserved for readers with paid subscriptions. Please join us!
Comments
Okay. Here is the point of this week’s editorial: Big DI seems to be having a day, and we should celebrate it, but we shouldn’t piss off our fellow educators as we ride the wave.
In addition to the widely read-heard episodes of the deservedly popular Sold a Story 2 by Emily Hanford and colleagues, new resources that emphasize Big DI have been emerging recently. Many Dear Readers will know that people very closely allied with Big DI have become widely available. Examples:5
Most readers will know that I am—and have been for a long time—an advocate of Direct Instruction. Dear Readers will recall my earlier admissions of my background (e.g., "Defining ‘DI’—My history) and some will know that I have actually conducted research (yes, empirical—somewhat scientific!—studies6) about DI and its features.
Kurt Engelmann, one of Zig’s sons and now an Earth-wide advocate for Big DI
Linda Diamond, who has a substantial history with using an promoting Big DI
Zach Groshell, a teacher who stumbled onto Big DI and got it, and then recorded interviews with SET supporters like Kathy M., Marcy S., Anita A., and Owen E.
Doug Carnine, one of the goddesses of education (and should be in the GOAT conversation), and probably one of the—if not the—closest living collaborator with Zig on Big DI.
Given my bias for Big DI from my teaching-learning history and my admiration for these folks, it might seem odd that I want to sound a note of caution. I do. Here is that note of caution.
Here is a note of caution.
One of the reasons that Big DI has met the substantial resistance that it has encountered since the 1960s is that the way it was presented to the general education community was—uhm, errr—dismissive and even “in your face.” That is, Zig p*ssed off people.
I’m thinking that, if you’re going to tell folks that their cherished notions are wrong (wrong), you should not do so in a way that that hurts them. When we advocates of Big DI discuss education with our colleagues, we have to be careful not to rub their noses in the poop that has resulted because of adherence to their practices, procedures, methods, materials, and recommendations. We need them to join us; we don’t need to alienate them.
Zig was too f’ing smart for most educational BS arguments. He not only zinged popular education ideas, but he conducted studies that challenged 1960s-cherished ideas about child development (e.g., “conservation”; Engelmann & Gallagher, 1966). He worked at the University of Illinois where the greatly—and deservedly—respected champion of education, Samuel Kirk, was searching for descriptions of child learning characteristics that would guide education to remediation of underlying cognitive processes; remediation of those processes (perception, memory, etc.) would presumably lead to improvements in reading, arithmetic, etc.
Zig (Engelmann, 1967) rejected those approaches to solving learning problems. He considered them to be indirect. He argued that if you wanted kids to get good at reading, rather than teaching memory, attention, and such…you should teach reading. Duh!
And, he told those folks so. He brashly (hulking athletic body, cigarette pack rolled into the sleeve of his t-shirt, and full-on cussing) told folks that their ideas were misbegotten. He teamed up with some other really smart people (Jim Gallagher, Carl Bereiter, Wes Becker, Elaine Bruner, and [of course] Therese Engelmann). And he systematically developed what we now call Big DI.
As Engelmann, Bateman, and I explained, too many arguments about educational reform take indirect and, frankly, illogical paths. They do not look at the problem in educational (teachable) terms. We special educators need to keep the focus on teaching what matters for our kids.
Those of us who champion Big DI must do so cautiously and gently. When a reading expert promotes systematic scaffolding for blending instruction, I have to resist replying, “Uhm, Distar, 1969.” When folks tout the benefits of providing pre-teaching components of algebra procedures, I must be careful not to dismiss them with “Yeah, you can find that in Ratios and Equations or Steins’s and Carnine’s work.” It’s way too freaking easy to point at the hyper-buzz about “science of reading” and say, “Well, we told you so. Don’t you remember?”
We don’t need to sneak up on them and then throw a big “gotcha.” We probably would be better off to use the “yes…and” approach of the improvisational workshop.
“Oh, wow! that idea sounds really good,” we ought to say. “And how about doing this, too?”
Now, just in case you think that I might have forgotten, here are the usual recommendations: (a) Wear your seatbelts (and make sure your children’s seats are affixed properly). (b) Get vaccinations as appropriate. (c) Eat healthy foods. (d) Exercise (I wish). (e) Watch out for your family, friends, and neighbors, and fellow denizens of Earth…and please, teach your children well.
JohnL
SET Editor guy
Charlottesville
Reference
Engelmann, S. (1967). Relationship between psychological theories and the act of teaching. Journal of School Psychology, 5(2), 93-100.
Engelmann, S., & Gallagher, J. J. (1966). A study of how a child learns concepts about characteristics of liquid materials: Final report. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED014428.pdf
Footnote
Typo and grammaro counts unknown.
Yes, the recovery from the hip surgery is still painfully slow. I can still barely make it up the driveway to Ray Road, let alone hustle up there and then spend 40-50 min touring the ‘hood. Sigh. I am hoping to make progress in the walking department in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.
I have seen some as I have driven (or ridden) by the neighbors’ places, but I haven’t stopped to take photos. Sloth and indolence are my only excuses.
“Gazillion” is a number that Kurt’s father would sometimes use when he was arguing a point. Zig might say, “What do I care about? What kinda f-ing question is that? Sh*t, I care about the gazillion kids out there who aren’t getting a chance, who are getting lousy teaching.” Or he might say something like this: “There’s about a gazillion ways to teach that, and about a gazillion minus 2…maybe 3…are wrong.”
Sorry…no not examples. There are plenty of detractors, but “do your own research,” as they say.
I don’t want to bore readers with items on my curriculum vita by detailing the work. If, however, one or more dear readers is actually interested in these studies, she or they are welcome to write to me directly and I’ll provide a photocopy of articles.
SET should not be confused with a product that uses the same name and is published by the Council for Exceptional Children. SET predated CEC’s publication by decades. Despite my appreciation for CEC, this product is not designed to promote that organization nor should the views expressed here be considered to represent the views or policies of that organization. A membership in CEC does not get one a subscription to SET and vice versa!
Thank you for the endorsement, Dr Lloyd! When I look back at my years at UVA, what sticks out to me is the support and encouragement you and others provided. And that continues today. Thank you. Also, are you suggesting I need a title for my Substack column? Let me think about that. Suggestions??