I observed a special education class where the teacher told me that she uses discrete-trial instruction to conduct circle times. However, it just looked like a regular circle to me. Can one person use discrete-trial instruction with eight children at the same time?
Nope. No way. It sounds like this teacher is not really clear on what discrete-trial instruction means. Many public and private programs will claim that they incorporate components that are scientifically proven, or currently popular, whether they really do or not. Consequently, parents should always see classrooms in action (for 2-3 hours at least, not 20-30 minutes) before committing to them.
