A brand new, 8-episode podcast series, brought to you by the Iowa Reading Research Center, explores the historical roots of today’s science of reading movement.

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“U.S. education achievement slides backwards,” Jill Barshay, The Hechinger Report

Episode transcript and sources
https://irrc.education.uiowa.edu/transcript-and-sources-novel-idea-trailer

A Novel Idea website:

irrc.education.uiowa.edu/resources/novel-idea-podcast

What is the science of reading? And why is everyone in the literacy community talking about it?

In this episode, we explore the current state of the science of reading movement. Along with our original reporting, you’ll hear from: 

• Melissa McGuire, Tara Rabenberg, and Kimberley Moser of Iowa’s Spencer Community School District
• Melissa Loftus and Lori Sappington of Melissa and Lori Love Literacy (Twitter: @literacypodcast)
• Dr. Kymyona Burk of the Foundation for Excellence in Education (Twitter: @kymyona_burk)
• Kareem Weaver (Twitter: @KJWinEducation) of FULCRUM
• parents of struggling readers
• …& more!

Learn More

National Reading Panel

https://www.nichd.nih.gov/sites/default/files/publications/pubs/nrp/Documents/report.pdf

Sold a Story podcast

https://features.apmreports.org/sold-a-story/

Right to Read documentary

https://www.therighttoreadfilm.org/ 

Special Thanks

Carla Siravo and Mike Archangelo

YouTube: @mrs.siravo5975 and @mikearchangelo

Instagram: @carlasiravoauthor and @mikearchangelo.

Aja McNair (Everything Aja LLC)

YouTube: @EverythingAJA

https://www.everythingaja.com/

Susan Jones

YouTube: @SusanJonesTeaching

https://susanjonesteaching.com/

Episode transcript and sources:

https://irrc.education.uiowa.edu/transcript-and-sources-novel-idea-episode-1 

A Novel Idea website:

irrc.education.uiowa.edu/resources/novel-idea-podcast

Hear ye, hear ye! In this episode, we travel all the way back to the 17th and 18th centuries to examine the Enlightenment-era roots of reading instruction as we know it. We will introduce several major players in the early days of literacy education, and examine the ways in which their actions have influenced today’s conversations surrounding literacy. Plus, hear from Natalie Wexler (Twitter: @natwexler), author of The Knowledge Gap, and Kate Will of the Iowa Reading Research Center.

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In addition to the philosophical and pedagogical changes discussed in this episode, the concept of literacy education was also a subject of political discourse during these years. These resources provide more information on this angle of American literacy learning not covered in the episode and are excellent starting points to learn more.

Confronting Anti-Black Racism: Education, Harvard Library

library.harvard.edu/confronting-anti-black-racism/education 

How literacy became a powerful weapon in the fight to end slavery, Colette Colman, HISTORY

www.history.com/news/nat-turner-rebellion-literacy-slavery

Episode transcript and sources

irrc.education.uiowa.edu/transcript-and-sources-novel-idea-episode-2

A Novel Idea website:

irrc.education.uiowa.edu/resources/novel-idea-podcast