logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2022
41m 55s

6: The Reckoning

APM Reports
About this episode

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
Organize: Sold a Story discussion guide
Read: Transcript of this episode
Support: Donate to APM
More: soldastory.org

Up next
Mar 2025
13: The List
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 sur ... Show More
33m 53s
Feb 2025
12: The Evidence
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 ... Show More
30m 35s
Feb 2025
11: The Outlier
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 stud ... Show More
31m 4s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2022
Introducing: Sold a Story
Emily Hanford introduces the first episode of her new podcast, Sold a Story.There's an idea about how children learn to read that's held sway in schools for more than a generation — even though it was proven wrong by cognitive scientists decades ago. Teaching methods based on thi ... Show More
34m 4s
Nov 2023
The Tudor Dixon Podcast: Why Are So Many Kids Struggling to Read with Emily Hanford
In this episode, Tudor speaks with Emily Hanford, senior education correspondent at American Public Media, about the challenges in teaching children to read. Hanford discusses the ineffective strategies being used in schools, the historical debate over phonics instruction, and th ... Show More
34m 53s
Feb 2024
Gentle Souls: Esther Friedman on ‘School’
Today’s episode is sponsored by BetterHelp.  If you’re not already familiar with the culty cluster known as ‘School’,  it was an ultra-secret Manhattan organization run by late actress and forever eccentric Sharon Gans. The shadowy group did its dark magic in the form of secret s ... Show More
55m 54s
May 2021
279: The Mother Archetype + Motherhood With Lisa Marchiano
Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews author, podcaster and Jungian Analyst Lisa Marchiano, LCSW. Lisa’s book Motherhood: Facing and Finding Yourself uses myths and fairy tales to explore motherhood as a catalyst for personal growth. In this ... Show More
46m 46s
Nov 2018
E54 Comment nous apprenons
Et si toutes nos croyances sur l’apprentissage étaient fausses ? Si tous les bons conseils reçus à l’école étaient contre-productifs ?   C’est le postulat que défend Benedict Carey dans son livre How we learn. Journaliste spécialiste des sujets scientifiques, Carey a décidé de fa ... Show More
33m 36s
May 2024
Patreon Replay: Lucy Taylor on Greek Life & Death at Penn State
We unlocked this previously released Patreon episode so everyone can hear it, because people need to know: Campus Greek Life Ain’t It. Lucy Taylor joins us to discuss the red flags of ‘rushing’, the tragic hazing death of a Penn State student, and her ongoing crusade to make frat ... Show More
46m 33s
Aug 2023
Episode 215: Tackling the Teacher's Sweets Drawer
Hey educators! 📚 Ever found yourself reaching into that classroom sweets drawer after a particularly challenging lesson or during grading marathons? In today's episode, we chat with Johnathan Cranford, author of "The Sugar Demons: An Addict’s Guide to Conquering Sugar Addic ... Show More
54m 2s
Jun 2023
The Today, Explained Center for Kids Who Can’t Read Good
For decades, American schools have taught reading with an approach that doesn’t work very well. Emily Hanford of the podcast “Sold a Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong” explains how things are starting to change.This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Matt ... Show More
26m 6s
Apr 2024
My Experience on the Whatever Pod- How to Be Persuasive
Karla Elia talks about her experience being on The Whatever podcast, and takeaway messages. If you want to learn how to speak to people's hearts to change their minds this episode is for you. Subscribe, like, and stay tuned! 👑✨ Karla Kollection Merch: karlakollection.com 
18m 29s
Dec 2022
New Gurus: 8. Prophets of Doom
Jessica Lanyadoo thinks civil war is coming — she has seen it in the stars. But it isn’t just astrologers who think we’re living through an age of upheaval. Peter Turchin, a Soviet-born professor who studies historical cycles, has already seen one political system collapse in his ... Show More
28m 35s