Sold a Story: Episode 7 – Your Words Released May 11, 2023 by APM Reports

Overview In Episode 7 of Sold a Story, titled "Your Words," host Emily Hanford delves into the profound impact the podcast has had on its listeners, particularly teachers, parents, and students affected by flawed reading instruction methods. This episode amplifies personal narratives, highlighting the widespread repercussions of outdated and ineffective literacy teaching practices. Hanford also addresses critical feedback from educational experts, ensuring a balanced exploration of the topic.

Listener Responses and Personal Stories

Emotional Reactions from Educators and Parents The episode opens with heartfelt testimonials from teachers and parents who have been deeply affected by the revelations in Sold a Story. A teacher reflects:

"From the first episode, I just felt like, oh, my goodness. I am not crazy. It's not just me." [00:00]

Parents share their frustrations and feelings of guilt over their children’s struggles with reading, stemming from ineffective teaching methods. One parent poignantly states:

"I'm saddened for the kids that I've taught and believed in this so much that I was led to believe this." [01:13]

Children’s Experiences Hanford interviews young listeners, including Jack Freeman, a 13-year-old, and his 10-year-old brother Cooper, who share their struggles with reading:

"I couldn’t read in kindergarten, first grade, second grade. I was running in darkness. I didn’t know what to do." – Jack Freeman [03:19]

Cooper adds his feelings of confusion and helplessness, emphasizing the long-term impact of inadequate reading instruction.

Adult Struggles with Literacy Adults who learned to read later in life also contribute their stories. Brooke Anderson shares her journey:

"When I finally did learn how to read, the first sort of reaction as it started to click for me was not one of happiness or pride or relief. It was just extreme anger." [04:15]

Her narrative highlights the emotional toll and survivor’s guilt felt by those who overcame reading difficulties with external help, contrasting their experiences with others who lacked access to such support.

Parental Realizations and Actions A parent from New Jersey recounts how the podcast transformed her approach to her son's reading struggles:

"I pulled out all of his schoolwork from kindergarten and first grade. And sure enough, there were the books, there were the letters." [07:20]

This discovery led her to confront school authorities and advocate for change, demonstrating the podcast’s role in empowering parents to seek better educational practices for their children.

Educators' Reflections and Challenges

Teachers Questioning Established Methods Educators like Alex, a former Reading Recovery teacher, express disillusionment with the once-trusted literacy programs:

"As difficult as it is to hear that a belief system that I adhered to was erroneous, it made me think a lot about the frustrations I experienced as a reading recovery teacher." [09:46]

Alex discusses the insulated community within Reading Recovery and how Hanford’s reporting allowed him to confront his doubts and reassess his teaching practices.

Criticism from Established Educators Not all feedback is supportive. A coalition of 58 educators, including prominent figures like Lucy Calkins, criticized the podcast for undermining the integrity of established literacy educators:

"Attacking the integrity of a group of educators who have led pioneering research and helped advance our field." [12:12]

This backlash underscores the contentious nature of the discussions surrounding reading instruction methodologies.

New Teachers Facing Systemic Barriers Hanford highlights the struggles of new teachers attempting to implement science-based reading strategies in districts entrenched in outdated methods. A first-year kindergarten teacher shares her dilemma:

"I just feel stuck. Like I like my district... I just don't even know if I'd be able to find a district that did teach reading that was aligned with science." [15:39]

Her experience illustrates the systemic challenges educators face when advocating for evidence-based reading instruction.

Community Response and Action

Formation of Discussion Groups Inspired by the podcast, educators like Virginia Quinn Mooney initiated Zoom happy hours to discuss Sold a Story. Virginia shares:

"We have to just be done with balanced literacy. Like, it just has to go away and we have to just start directly teaching our kids how to read." [18:46]

These gatherings have attracted nearly 400 participants from around the globe, fostering a community committed to reevaluating and improving literacy education.

Commitment to Change Teachers attending these sessions express a renewed dedication to bettering their teaching practices:

"I am so passionate about it. And I spend more time reading and taking classes and it's just... I devote all my free time to this." [19:00]

This collective commitment signifies a grassroots movement towards adopting more effective reading instruction methods.

Expert Insights and Considerations

Balancing Foundational Skills with Comprehension In response to feedback, Hanford engages with Claude Goldenberg, a retired Stanford education professor, who emphasizes the importance of not overemphasizing foundational skills at the expense of comprehension:

"We know there's more to reading than foundational skills. We also know that that's been a glaring gap in reading education. But no one should walk away from this podcast thinking that if we just got foundational skills right, everything would be okay." [21:10]

Goldenberg warns against viewing foundational skills as a silver bullet, stressing the necessity of comprehensive literacy education that includes vocabulary development and knowledge building.

Nuanced Understanding of Literacy Hanford acknowledges the critique, recognizing that literacy encompasses more than word decoding:

"Things will not be okay if all schools get better at is teaching kids how to decode words... Making sure that kids get the knowledge and vocabulary they need to comprehend what they read may actually be the bigger challenge." [22:47]

She notes the significant role of home environment and socio-economic factors in developing comprehensive reading skills, highlighting the complexity of achieving widespread literacy improvements.

Looking Ahead

Future Episodes and Legislative Impacts Hanford hints at upcoming discussions on legislative responses to the podcast’s revelations:

"I'm going to tell you about some of the laws being passed in response to the podcast and why I'm kind of worried about some of those laws in the next episode of Sold a Story." [23:36]

This preview sets the stage for exploring how policymakers are reacting to the ongoing debate over literacy education.

Conclusion Episode 7 of Sold a Story serves as a pivotal reflection on the podcast's influence, showcasing a community's struggle and resilience in the face of flawed reading instruction systems. Through personal stories, educator testimonials, and expert analysis, Emily Hanford underscores the urgent need for evidence-based literacy education while acknowledging the multifaceted challenges involved in transforming long-standing educational practices.

Notable Quotes with Attribution and Timestamps:

• Teacher or Parent: "From the first episode, I just felt like, oh, my goodness. I am not crazy. It's not just me." [00:00]

• Jack Freeman: "I couldn't read in kindergarten, first grade, second grade. I was running in darkness. I didn't know what to do." [03:19]

• Brooke Anderson: "When I finally did learn how to read, the first sort of reaction as it started to click for me was not one of happiness or pride or relief. It was just extreme anger." [04:15]

• Alex (Former Teacher): "As difficult as it is to hear that a belief system that I adhered to was erroneous, it made me think a lot about the frustrations I experienced as a reading recovery teacher." [09:46]

• Virginia Quinn Mooney: "We have to just be done with balanced literacy. Like, it just has to go away and we have to just start directly teaching our kids how to read." [18:46]

• Claude Goldenberg: "We need to have a teaching force that understands these things with as much kind of nuance and complexity as possible." [23:05]

Final Notes For further insights, listeners are encouraged to explore additional resources available at soldastory.org, including transcripts, articles, reading lists, and discussion guides. The episode was produced by Emily Hanford alongside Eliza Billingham and Christopher Peek, with contributions from editor Chris Julin, digital editor Andy Cruz, and support from the Hollyhock Foundation, Oak Foundation, and Wendy and Stephen Gaultier.