Interactive instructional program

An interactive instructional program is a program for teaching reading and writing. It focuses on teacher-directed interaction between whole language and phonics activities. The rationale behind it is based on the belief that learners need explicit instruction about various reading strategies that they can use to help them understand a text.

Interactive instructional programs were developed by people who felt that a pure whole language program was not the best way to teach reading and writing. They felt that interaction between whole language and phonics approaches was better.

However, the differences between whole language programs and interactive programs in actual practice are very unclear. Interactive instructional programs are often referred to as “interactive whole language” programs.

Similarities and differences between interactive and whole language

Both interactive and whole language instructional programs are based on a reading theory that says the following:

• Readers construct meaning from texts by selective use of information from a variety of sources of meaning such as

  • prior knowledge
  • experience
  • print, and
  • context.

• A reader can choose to draw more heavily on any one source of meaning at any time, yet can process information simultaneously from a variety of sources.

An interactive reading program requires that teachers explicitly teach helpful reading strategies which come from bottom-up reading models.

Whole language programs, on the other hand, leave the choice of reading strategies up to the reader.

Both programs require that all reading activities involve meaningful texts.

An interactive instructional program is based on the interactive model of reading.

Here are some materials needed for an interactive instructional program:

• Plenty of interesting texts which people are highly motivated to read. These can be preprinted or student-generated, or both
• A phonics or syllable-based primer with lessons linked to meaningful texts (optional)
• A teachers' guide listing the sounds or syllables to be taught (optional)

Here are some parts of an interactive instructional program:

• Reading readiness
• Language experience activities or themes
• Shared reading experiences
• Primer lessons (optional)
• Writing lessons to teach letter formation
• Writing lessons to encourage process writing
• Opportunities to develop fluency

Here are some features of an interactive instructional program:

• The major focus of the reading program is to assist readers to construct meaning from texts.
• Structured activities are scheduled to encourage the development of various reading strategies.

• Current instructional programs

See the following online books for more information:

• Using tok ples to learn how to read and write

• PNG, SIL 1993

• Structure module: interactive instructional program, by Glenys Waters
• In overview module: Current instructional programs, by Leah B. Walter, Glenys Waters, and Trudy K. Stewart (editor)
• In overview module: Instructional programs, by Kenneth A. Boothe (contributor), Leah B. Walter (contributor), and Glenys Waters (contributor)
• 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: 27 July 1999

© 1999 SIL International