Sold a Story

By: APM Reports
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  • Summary

  • 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. The podcast has won some of the biggest awards in journalism. Twenty-five states (and counting) have changed their reading laws because of it. Now, 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.
    Copyright 2024 Minnesota Public Radio
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Episodes
  • 1: The Problem

    1: The Problem
    Oct 20 2022

    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
    Support: Donate to APM Reports
    More: soldastory.org
    En español: soldastory.es


    Sold a Story is proud to be an Apple Podcasts Series Essential. To celebrate, we’re making it available without ads or other announcements for a limited time.


    Dive deeper into Sold a Story with a multi-part email series from host Emily Hanford. We’ll also keep you up to date on new episodes. Sign up at soldastory.org/extracredit.
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    33 mins
  • 2: The Idea

    2: The Idea
    Oct 20 2022

    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
    Support: Donate to APM Reports
    More: soldastory.org
    En español: soldastory.es


    Dive deeper into Sold a Story with a multi-part email series from host Emily Hanford. We’ll also keep you up to date on new episodes. Sign up at soldastory.org/extracredit.
    Show more Show less
    51 mins
  • 3: The Battle

    3: The Battle
    Oct 27 2022

    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
    Support: Donate to APM Reports
    More: soldastory.org
    En español: soldastory.es


    Dive deeper into Sold a Story with a multi-part email series from host Emily Hanford. We’ll also keep you up to date on new episodes. Sign up at soldastory.org/extracredit.

    Show more Show less
    41 mins

What listeners say about Sold a Story

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Very Helpful & Enlightening

This was such a powerful look at reading in the United States. I never knew the damage the whole language approach was having on our kids. Thanks for the information.

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Every parent must listen!

Very insightful! Prior to listening, i thought my child wasn't trying hard enough. Thank you.

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Every teacher needs this information.

This podcast helped me to understand the necessity and urgency needed to teach phonics to our students. It has been the missing piece that we needed to help children learn to read

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As a MATH Teacher it all makes sense

Love! Love!! Love!!! how this all makes sense and I get why students are struggling with math word problems.

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Eye opening

Eye opening, compelling and well researched. We need more journalists like this to challenge powerful entities and finally hold them accountable!

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Fascinating read! Eye-opening.

Truly, children and anyone learning to read need the foundational basics before they can get into the deeper meanings of language. That is just how our brains work. Research-based teaching is imperative!
Also, big publishing companies should not be in charge of determining what curriculum or resources are available for school districts.
Thank you for shedding light on this very important subject!

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Shine a Light!

This podcast is a real revelation. This should be required listening for all current and would be educators.

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Eye. Opening

So good! Unbiased and thought provoking. Loved it from start to finish. I Highly recommend.

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Highly recommend

Very thought provoking and interesting regardless of if you are a parent or work in the educational system

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The unnecessary guilt

It breaks my heart realizing that I thought my son had problems, I even tested him for Dyslexia and test came back negative, still I didn't understand why he was struggling reading and hating it and was putting a stress in our relationship mother-son.

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