Sold a Story By cover art

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 are ignoring the research. They buy teacher training and books that are rooted in a disproven idea. Emily Hanford investigates four authors and a publishing company that have made millions selling this idea.
    Copyright 2024 Minnesota Public Radio
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Episodes
  • Trailer: Sold a Story

    Trailer: Sold a Story
    Oct 13 2022

    Sold a Story is a six-part series beginning with two episodes on October 20.


    More: soldastory.org
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    3 mins
  • 1: The Problem

    1: The Problem
    Oct 20 2022

    Corinne Adams watches her son's lessons during Zoom school and discovers a dismaying truth: He can't read. Little Charlie 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
    Support: Donate to APM
    More: soldastory.org


    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
    Support: Donate to APM
    More: soldastory.org


    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
    52 mins
History Social Sciences
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What listeners say about Sold a Story

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Profile Image for Raena Janes

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 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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Profile Image for Ryan Moore

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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Profile Image for Diva Laney

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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Profile Image for Mariza

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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