A 30-year-old curriculum called "direct instruction" is being reintroduced in some schools, replacing the failed fads of whole language and whole math. Teachers who have used direct instruction and those who have observed classrooms where it is employed are excited by the results.

Direct instruction is a highly structured program that tests and retests what children are learning, always corrects them when they err and tries to leave nothing to chance. It groups children according to ability, but tries to make sure all children learn the basics.

• In the mid-1970s, a $1 billion government study of nine curriculums called "Project Follow Through" found that disadvantaged grade-school students enrolled in direct instruction scored the highest in every skills category.

• Yet direct instruction almost died out in the late 1980s, when the California school board removed it from the approved state curriculum in favor of then-fashionable whole language and whole math -- which place a higher premium on building student self-esteem than on getting the right answer.

• Advocates of direct instruction say self-esteem takes care of itself, since children feel better about themselves as they realize they are capable of acquiring basic skills.

• Teachers who employ direct instruction report that it helps greatly with student discipline -- since they are less likely to act up as they enjoy the challenges the system provides.