Podcast Summary: "Reading is Racist Now, Apparently – American Kids Literally Can’t Read Anymore"

The Isabel Brown Show – December 10, 2025
Host: Isabel Brown (The Daily Wire) | Guest: Niels Hoven (Founder/CEO, Mentava)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Isabel Brown tackles the alarming crisis of literacy in America, spotlighting how controversial shifts in teaching methods and educational ideology have contributed to catastrophic reading outcomes for children. Isabel, joined by her husband Brock and guest Niels Hoven, explores the roots of the “phonics is racist” argument, exposes the shortcomings of ‘balanced literacy,’ and champions innovative solutions emerging outside the traditional education establishment.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Crisis in American Literacy: The Shocking Numbers

• Dismal Reading Proficiency:
  • “By 2025, less than 1/3 of current 4th graders read at a proficient grade level... nearly half of fourth-grade students perform below the basic reading level, aka they just straight up can't read.”
    — Isabel Brown [02:37]
• Personal Anecdotes:
  • Isabel and Brock both reflect on their strong views regarding public schools, referencing personal stories and their experiences with learning to read (Bob Books, family encouragement).
    — [01:23–05:29]

2. Phonics vs. ‘Balanced Literacy’: The Roots of the Debate

• How Reading Used To Be Taught:
  • Sounding out letters and building words (phonics) was foundational in Isabel’s and most millennial childhoods.
  • Isabel credits early phonics (like Bob Books) for her lifelong love of reading.
• What’s Changed: ‘Picture Power’ and Guessing Games:
  • Many schools now teach children to memorize words via images instead of sounding them out — a result of ‘balanced literacy.’
  • Isabel plays a classroom clip where a teacher openly discourages sounding out words, opting instead for image association (e.g., identify “butterfly” from a picture instead of reading the word).
    — [08:33–10:12]
• Critique of the New Method:
  • “I could never just blanket memorize hundreds of thousands of words... What's the building block behind any of that?”
    — Isabel Brown [10:36–11:20]
  • Brock references pop culture, likening the approach to memorizing words without understanding, which can lead to fundamental knowledge gaps.
    — [11:07]

3. The ‘Phonics is Racist’ Controversy

• Academic Claims:
  • Isabel cites Minnesota State University’s assertion that phonics is rooted in the Jim Crow era and reinforces “white standard English.”
    — [15:16–15:56]
• Guest’s Response:
  • “Somehow the idea that words are made up of letter sounds has become this culture war topic inside education... Yesterday was the first time I'd seen anyone saying not only should we not teach kids to sound out words, but that this is racist because it came from the Jim Crow era. But apparently that is what they think at the University of Minnesota's literacy faculty.”
    — Niels Hoven [16:13]

4. Origins and Problems of ‘Balanced Literacy’

• Why Did Schools Move Away from Phonics?
  • Around the 1990s, the trend shifted toward fostering a “love of reading” and having children guess words from pictures and context.
  • Niels shares that this widespread adoption has led to a generation’s worth of students struggling with basic reading.
  • “Balanced literacy” became a compromise between phonics and whole-word/memorization methods, but often leaves kids without mastery of either.
    — [17:35–18:47]

5. Innovative Solutions: Spotlight on Mentava

• Introducing Niels Hoven and Mentava:
  • Early literacy software using a phonics-based approach that can take a child from no knowledge of letters to reading early reader books.
  • Designed as a software-based tutor to close gaps when great teachers or literacy environments aren’t available.
    — [14:45–15:16], [24:14]
• Results:
  • “We’re getting kids as young as two up to a second grade reading level in as short as three months... Most kids take maybe six months.”
    — Niels Hoven [24:14]

6. Systemic Issues in Education

• Shift from Education to Equalization:
  • Niels expresses concern that schools now focus more on equalizing outcomes than individual learning, leading to fewer opportunities for gifted or struggling students alike.
  • “Schools have become about equalization rather than education... how do we artificially engineer equal outcomes rather than giving kids equal opportunity?”
    — Niels Hoven [24:14]
• Decline of Parent Involvement and Rise of Hostility:
  • Isabel laments the growing alienation of parents from their children’s education.
    — [34:12]
  • Niels and Isabel discuss backlash from academia against “non-credentialed” innovators and the resistance to acknowledging results-focused solutions.
    — [28:07–30:57]

7. Homeschooling and Parental Empowerment

• Homeschool Movement Rising:
  • Isabel reveals that well over 10% of American families are actively starting to homeschool, crediting increased awareness of education system shortcomings post-Covid.
    — [38:29]
  • Shares her own family’s hesitancy and changing perspective on homeschooling.
• Encouragement and Accessibility:
  • “You can be empowered. You can do this yourself. Find the tool that works best for your family.”
    — Niels Hoven [37:42]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Scope of the Crisis:

  • “75% of fourth graders in America literally can’t read at grade level.”
    — Isabel Brown [02:59]

• On the New ‘Reading’ Methods:

  • “Instead of sounding out those letters, what they are trying to get your kids to do is... basically just memorize that those two things mean the same thing.”
    — Isabel Brown [09:11]

• On Academic Pushback:

  • “There’s an education PhD out of Australia who said... ‘You are never going to convince me that efficacy should be the driver of education.’”
    — Niels Hoven [30:05]

• On Teaching and Parental Authority:

  • “My dad made a comment to me…they never even remotely considered homeschooling...because they genuinely bought into the narrative that they were too stupid to educate their own kids.”
    — Isabel Brown [38:29]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 01:02–02:59: Crisis in reading proficiency, personal stories about education
• 03:31–05:29: Importance of phonics and family encouragement
• 06:22–07:15: Phonics branded as ‘racist’ by academic ideologues
• 08:33–10:12: 'Balanced literacy' classroom example & critique
• 14:45–16:42: Introduction to Niels Hoven & the Mentava platform
• 16:13–18:47: Academic arguments against phonics; history & ideology
• 24:14–26:54: Decline of ability-grouping, shift from education to equalization
• 28:07–30:57: Institutional resistance & academic elitism
• 34:12–37:04: Parental empowerment, Mentava’s model, homeschooling trends
• 38:29–End: Affirmation of parent agency and encouragement for families

Final Thoughts

This episode sharply interrogates what Isabel describes as a “gaslighting” of parents and communities by entrenched education bureaucracies and unions—a system that now often shames time-tested methods like phonics as ideological offenses. The conversation is equal parts exposé, encouragement, and call-to-action, urging parents to question authority, trust their instincts, and reclaim the right to guide their children’s learning using proven, accessible strategies.

The tone is unapologetically direct and at times passionate, mixing humor, pop culture references, and pointed critiques of the education establishment. The episode is a rallying cry for educational pluralism, parental involvement, and a return to foundational skills.

For more information:

• Mentava: mentava.com
• [Isabel Brown on Instagram, Twitter, and The Daily Wire]