A system and a method are described for managing the process of simultaneously teaching a large number of students, who have a widely varying range of skills in a content area, by using individualized instruction. The system and the method achieve this by allowing the teacher's resources to be utilized more efficiently, which makes the teaching more effective. In addition, it allows the teacher to determine the mastery criteria and the scope and sequence of a content area. Students accelerate through a sequence of skills determined by the teacher using their prior knowledge until they encounter a skill deficiency. Pre- and post-testing is used in conjunction with highly-focused, individualized instruction, in a feedback-loop-cycle until the student masters the specific skill. The system and the method are applicable to any subject area where learning is enhanced by a sequential learning process.