Millions of kids can't read well. Scientists have known for decades how children learn to read, but many schools don’t know about the research. They buy teacher training and books that are rooted in a disproven idea. In Sold a Story, Emily Hanford investigates four authors and a publishing company that have made millions selling this idea.
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Early in her teaching career, Margaret Goldberg was skeptical of the science of reading. Today, she is working with neuroscientist Reid Lyon to bring it into more classrooms. Lyon and Goldberg joined Sold a Story host Emily Hanford for a live conversation about the challenges of translating research into practice. The event was part of the Eyes on Reading series at Planet Word, a museum in Washington, D.C., dedicated to words and language. Read: Transcript of this episode See: Slideshow from the...
Education research is at a turning point in the United States. The Trump administration is slashing government funding for science and dismantling the Department of Education. We look at what the cuts mean for the science of reading — and the effort to get that science into schools. Read: Trump cancels survey of high schoolers Read: Nation’s Report Card at risk Read: Lawsuit saves massive reading experiment Read: Transcript of this episode Carolyn Riehl: Medical research and education research W...
Steubenville became a model of reading success. Then a new law in Ohio put it all at risk. In this episode, we look at the "science of reading" lists some states are making, why the program Steubenville has been using for 25 years isn't getting on many of these lists, and the surprising power of one curriculum review group. Read: Christopher Peak on EdReports Read: Transcript of this episode Watch: The story behind Sold a Story Organize: Sold a Story discussion guides Support: Donate to APM Repo...
There’s a name for the program at the heart of Steubenville’s remarkable reading results. It’s called Success for All. It’s been around for decades, and numerous studies have shown it’s effective. But relatively few school districts use it. We trace the history of the program and why it’s never really caught on. Read: Why don’t more schools use Success for All? Read: Transcript of this episode Watch: The story behind Sold a Story Organize: Sold a Story discussion guides Support: Donate to APM Re...
There’s a school district in eastern Ohio where virtually all the students become good readers by the time they finish third grade. Many of the wealthiest places in the country can’t even say that. And Steubenville is a Rust Belt town where the state considers almost all the students “economically disadvantaged.” How did they do it? Explore: Steubenville, by the numbers Read: Transcript of this episode Book: Districts that Succeed Book: How It's Being Done Podcast: ExtraOrdinary Districts Watch:...
Nationally acclaimed journalist Emily Hanford's work is changing the ways schools around the country teach reading. In this award-winning podcast, she investigates why so many schools use an approach that cognitive scientists debunked decades ago. Apple Podcasts has recognized Sold a Story as a Series Essential. To celebrate, we’re making it available without ads or other announcements for a limited time. Watch: The story behind Sold a Story Support: Donate to APM Reports Listener survey: Tell u...
Some of the teachers, students, parents and researchers we met in Sold a Story talk about the impact the podcast has had on their lives and in schools — and share some of their hopes and concerns about the “science of reading” movement. Portraits: Zoe and Lee Gaul, Christine Cronin, Reid Lyon Read: Transcript of this episode Video: Mark Seidenberg at Yale Article: Seidenberg on translating the science Article: Reid Lyon’s most important findings Watch: The story behind Sold a Story Organize: Sol...
This episode explores the aftermath of the "Sold a Story" podcast, focusing on how key figures and institutions are reacting to widespread shifts in reading instruction. Lucy Calkins has publicly defended and revised her curriculum, while Teachers College has removed her from her institute leadership. Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell maintain their core principles despite criticism. Both the Reading Recovery program and publisher Heinemann are experiencing significant financial difficulties and legal battles as schools nationwide abandon traditional balanced literacy approaches.
Emily Hanford announces upcoming new episodes of 'Sold a Story,' sharing updates on the original series' impact. She then introduces 'Sold a Story en español,' hosted by Valeria Fernandez, emphasizing its importance for Spanish-speaking parents whose children learn English in American schools. The episode also details additional Spanish resources, including articles and tips for parents, while encouraging listeners to share the adaptation and look out for new English content.
Following the "Sold a Story" podcast, state legislatures nationwide are mandating science-based reading instruction and banning discredited methods like three-cueing. While these reforms are gaining bipartisan support, concerns arise about potential political oversimplification, the quality of new curricula, and the unrealistic expectations placed on educators. The episode emphasizes the complexity of educational change and introduces strategies like "pre-mortems" to prevent failure, concluding with hopeful testimonials from teachers embracing these new approaches.
This episode compiles listener feedback to "Sold a Story," revealing its profound impact on students, parents, and teachers. Listeners share personal stories of struggling to read, anger at flawed instruction, and the guilt of those who could afford private tutoring. It highlights teachers grappling with past methods and new educators secretly defying problematic systems, prompting widespread community discussions. The episode also critically examines the balance between foundational decoding skills and comprehensive reading comprehension, noting the challenges ahead.
A special "Brains On" episode, prompted by "Sold a Story," delves into the complexities of learning to read, highlighting how the human brain isn't naturally wired for it. It explains the two essential skills: language comprehension and decoding, and critiques the widespread, yet ineffective, "whole word" teaching method. The episode stresses the importance of research-backed phonetic instruction and encourages those struggling to seek support, featuring a personal story from a co-host and her mother about overcoming reading difficulties.
There are kids like C.J. all over the country. Schools tell their parents they are reading at grade level, but the kids are not. And whether they ever get the help they need can depend a lot on their family income and their race. In this documentary, originally published in August 2020, host Emily Hanford shows that America’s approach to reading instruction is having an especially devastating impact on children of color. Read more: Children of color are far less likely to get the help they need ...
Molly Woodworth had a secret: She couldn’t read very well. She fought her way through text by looking at the first letter of a word and thinking of something that made sense. Reading was slow and laborious. Then she learned that her daughter's school was actually teaching kids to read that way. In this documentary, originally published in August 2019, host Emily Hanford reveals that many kids are being taught the habits of struggling readers. Winner of a Gracie Award and finalist for an EWA Publ...
Jack Silva had a problem. He was the chief academic officer of a school district in Pennsylvania, and more than 40% of the kids in his district were not proficient readers. He didn't know much about how kids learn to read, but he knew he had to figure it out. Originally published in September 2018, this documentary helped ignite a national conversation about the science of reading. Winner of an EWA Public Service Award. Read more: Why aren't kids being taught to read? Read in Spanish: Translatio...
The parents knew something wasn’t right. The school said everything would be fine. But their kids weren’t learning how to read. In this documentary, originally published in September 2017, we look at why kids with dyslexia have a hard time getting the help they need in school. Read more: How American schools fail kids with dyslexia Q&A: What is dyslexia, with neuroscientist Guinevere Eden Support this show: Donate to APM Reports Listener survey: Tell us about yourself Dive deeper into Sold a...
Lucy Calkins says she has learned from the science of reading. She's revised her materials. Fountas and Pinnell have not revised theirs. Their publisher, Heinemann, is still selling some products to teach reading that contain debunked practices. Parents, teachers and lawmakers want answers. Map: How states approach reading instruction Read: Transcript of this episode Watch: The story behind Sold a Story Organize: Sold a Story discussion guides Support: Donate to APM Reports Listener survey: Tell...
Teachers call books published by Heinemann their bibles. The company's products are in schools all over the country. Some of the products used to teach reading are rooted in a debunked idea about how children learn to read. But they've made the company and some of its authors millions. Map: Heinemann’s national reach Read: Transcript of this episode Watch: The story behind Sold a Story Organize: Sold a Story discussion guides Support: Donate to APM Reports Listener survey: Tell us about yourself...
Teachers sing songs about Lucy Calkins. The longtime professor at Columbia University’s Teachers College is one of the most influential people in American elementary education today. Her admirers call her books bibles. Why didn't she know that scientific research contradicted reading strategies she promoted? Read: Transcript of this episode Watch: The story behind Sold a Story Organize: Sold a Story discussion guides Support: Donate to APM Reports Listener survey: Tell us about yourself More: so...
President George W. Bush made improving reading instruction a priority. He got Congress to provide money to schools that used reading programs supported by scientific research. But backers of Marie Clay’s ideas saw Bush’s Reading First initiative as a threat. Read: Transcript of this episode Watch: The story behind Sold a Story Organize: Sold a Story discussion guides Support: Donate to APM Reports Listener survey: Tell us about yourself More: soldastory.org Dive deeper into Sold a Story with a ...
Sixty years ago, Marie Clay developed a way to teach reading she said would help kids who were falling behind. They’d catch up and never need help again. Today, her program remains popular, and her theory about how people read is at the root of a lot of reading instruction in schools. But Marie Clay was wrong. Read: Emily Hanford’s reading list Read: Transcript of this episode Watch: The story behind Sold a Story Organize: Sold a Story discussion guides Support: Donate to APM Reports Listener su...
Lee Gaul watches his daughter’s lessons during Zoom school and discovers a dismaying truth: She can't read. Little Zoe isn't the only one. Sixty-five percent of fourth graders in the United States are not proficient readers. Kids need to learn specific skills to become good readers, and in many schools, those skills are not being taught. Read: Emily Hanford’s reading list Read: Transcript of this episode Watch: The story behind Sold a Story Organize: Sold a Story discussion guides Support: Donat...
Oct 20, 2022•33 min•Season 1Ep. 1
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