Podcast appearances and mentions of Natalie Wexler

In this special Science of Reading Essentials episode, Susan Lambert pulls from past episodes of the podcast to give you everything you need to know about science-based writing instruction. Experts include Steve Graham, Ed.D.; Young-Suk Grace Kim, Ed.D.; Natalie Wexler; and Judith Hochman, Ed.D. Listeners will walk away from this episode with a solid foundation for creating a classroom of confident and capable writers, and gain a better understanding of the connection between reading and writing, the role of handwriting and spelling, the power of sentences, and the importance of applying cognitive load theory to writing.Show notes:ResourcesAccess the listening guide—and other free, high-quality resources—at our brand new professional learning page: http://amplify.com/science-of-reading/professional-learning Join our community Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/scienceofreadingQuotes:“This is not learned by osmosis. And it's not learned by vague feedback, like, ‘make it better' or ‘add more details.' You've got to be very granular.” —Judith Hochman, Ed.D. "What we see with exceptional teachers is they have their kids write." —Steve Graham, Ed.D.“The Science of Reading encapsulates decades of research about both reading and writing—because if writing was never invented, we would not have to teach kids how to read.” —Susan Lambert

The Jepson Leadership Forum presents education writer Natalie Wexler for her presentation "Curriculum Wars: Why K-12 Education Reflects Our Divisions and How It Can Help Us Overcome Them." Wexler is author of "The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America's Broken Education System - And How to Fix It." April 15, 2025 The 2024-25 Jepson Leadership Forum invites scholars and experts to discuss how division and polarization affect American democracy. We will explore how and why divisions have manifested historically and currently in the United States, focusing on their impact on justice, education, politics, culture, technology, and class. Are division and the struggle to find common ground making us stronger or tearing us apart?

Zach is joined by Carson Hickox to talk about how MCP transformed his middle school social studies classroom and his approach to teaching in general. Show Notes Captain Underpants (https://pilkey.com/series/captain-underpants) Proficiency-based grading (https://www.newenglandssc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/NESSC_I_Want_to_Know_More_No12.pdf) Cult of Pedagogy Podcast on Mastery Based Grading with MCP (https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/mastery-based-grading/) Richard DuFour (The PLC at Work Process) (https://www.solutiontree.com/richard-dufour.html) "Focus: Elevating the Essentials to Radically Improve Student Learning," by Mike Schmoker (https://ascd.org/books/focus-elevating-the-essentials-to-radically-improve-student-learning-2nd-edition?variant=118044) "The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America's Broken Education System - And How to Fix It," by Natalie Wexler (https://nataliewexler.com/the-knowledge-gap/) You can email Carson at carson.hickox@modernclassrooms.org (mailto:carson.hickox@modernclassrooms.org) Learning Experiences for the Upcoming Week Want to connect with other educators of color who are creating a more student-centered learning environment? Join our monthly Shades of Excellence meetup on Monday, February 24, 7pm ET. Register here (https://modernclassrooms.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_BBGCzQ5FT9iQ2SETfYMXOw).  Do the students in your community have different needs? In a diverse world, that's inevitable, and it can feel impossible for a teacher or school to meet every learner's needs at once. But there are evidence-based ways to help every student achieve their potential. In this edLeader Panel, you will discover classroom-tested techniques that your teachers can use right away to keep each of their students appropriately challenged—and appropriately supported—every day. Join (https://home.edweb.net/webinar/inclusiveeducation20250225/) us on February 25, at 5 pm ET.  We are reading Rob Barnett's Meet Every Learner's Needs together as a community and our second session is on Redesigning Courses sponsored by ScreenPal on Wednesday, March 5 9 at 7:00pm ET. Register and join (https://go.modernclassrooms.org/l/1068872/2025-01-31/2cs5mnq) us in sharing ideas, questions, and resources.** Contact us, follow us online, and learn more: Email us questions and feedback at: podcast@modernclassrooms.org (mailto:podcast@modernclassrooms.org) Listen to this podcast on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1SQEZ54ptj1ZQ3bV5tEcULSyPttnifZV) Modern Classrooms: @modernclassproj (https://twitter.com/modernclassproj) on Twitter and facebook.com/modernclassproj (https://www.facebook.com/modernclassproj) Kareem: @kareemfarah23 (https://twitter.com/kareemfarah23) on Twitter Toni Rose: @classroomflex (https://twitter.com/classroomflex) on Twitter and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/classroomflex/?hl=en) The Modern Classroom Project (https://www.modernclassrooms.org) Modern Classrooms Online Course (https://learn.modernclassrooms.org) Take our free online course, or sign up for our mentorship program to receive personalized guidance from a Modern Classrooms mentor as you implement your own modern classroom! The Modern Classrooms Podcast is edited by Zach Diamond: @zpdiamond (https://twitter.com/zpdiamond) on Twitter and Learning to Teach (https://www.learningtoteach.co/) Special Guest: Carson Hickox.

In this episode, Therese Markow and Natalie Wexler discuss the poor reading skills of American students, as evidenced by NAEP test results. Natalie highlights the ineffectiveness of current reading programs and the focus on skills over content. She also talks about the discrepancies between students of different backgrounds, and how The Matthew Effect appears in reading comprehension and general knowledge. She also encourages teachers and parents to introduce their children, as early as possible, to higher concepts and vocabulary as children can and do understand more than many give them credit for. Natalie also discusses the role of writing in enhancing reading comprehension and the need for systemic changes in education to improve literacy outcomes.    Key Takeaways: When it comes to literacy and reading, the standards don't specify content. Therefore, the tests are not grounded in consistent content. Most kids need to learn their phonics in order to become fluent readers. Making this a more automated skill will free up brain power for comprehension.  Vocabulary is more likely to stick if it is heard in context and on repeat. Read aloud to your kids. Kids can take in more sophisticated concepts and vocabulary through listening than reading. This goes through age 13.  More than average amounts of social studies in elementary school are correlated with higher than average reading scores later in school.    "Kids who started with less of that academic knowledge and vocabulary, if they don't acquire it through school, they're going to fall farther and farther behind, because they're going to be limited to those simple texts. Even if there's some new vocabulary, new information in those texts, they're less likely to be able to retain it because they don't have anything for it to stick to." —  Natalie Wexler   Episode References:  The Knowledge Matters Campaign: https://knowledgematterscampaign.org/    Connect with Natalie Wexler: Professional Bio: https://nataliewexler.com/about/  Website: https://nataliewexler.com/  Substack: https://nataliewexler.substack.com/    Books: Beyond the Science of Reading: https://nataliewexler.com/beyond-the-science-of-reading/  The Knowledge Gap: https://nataliewexler.com/the-knowledge-gap/  The Writing Revolution: https://nataliewexler.com/the-writing-revolution/twr-2-0-cover-amazon/      Connect with Therese: Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net Threads: @critically_speaking Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net      Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.    

WHY AREN'T KIDS LEARNING? I've got a guest that says the curriculum schools uses has a HUGE impact on student learning, as many curriculums aren't based at all on science and have been failing students. When they got rid of phonics instruction children stopped reading well, and that's just one example. Why do curriculums change and how can you insure your schools are using the best ones available? I've got Natalie Wexler on at 1pm to talk about it, and you really should read this article on it too.

From July 22, 2022The Writing Revolution authors, Judith Hochman and Natalie Wexler, share a 'revolutionary' approach to writing. The best part: It begins at the sentence level AND content knowledge drives the rigor.  Moreover, there is an overlap in reading, writing, and critical thinking. What are the principles of The Writing Revolution?  There are six: Students need explicit instruction in writing, beginning in the early elementary grades.Sentences are the building blocks of all writing.When embedded in the content of the curriculum, writing instruction is a powerful teaching tool.The content of the curriculum drives the rigor of the writing activities.Grammar is best taught in the context of student writing.The two most important phases of the writing process are planning and revising.  ResourcesThe Writing Revolution, Not for ProfitThe Writing Revolution, The Atlantic, October 2012Writing and cognitive load theory, Natalie Wexler  We answer your questions about teaching reading in The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night.Grab free resources and episode alerts! Sign up for our email list at literacypodcast.com.Join our community on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

In this episode, Susan Lambert rejoins podcast alum Natalie Wexler to discuss Natalie's new book Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning. Listeners will gain insights into why this topic is important, what this book offers educators, why Natalie was so drawn to writing this book, and what cognitive science-informed teaching looks like in general. Natalie addresses how cognitive load theory works in practice with literacy, misconceptions about focusing only on phonics, and scaling science-informed instruction. Natalie also answers a question from the listener mailbag about encouraging colleagues to adopt an evidence-based approach.Show notes: Connect with Natalie Wexler:Website: nataliewexler.comPre-order Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning: https://ascd.org/books/beyond-the-science-of-reading?variant=125006Substack: Minding the Gap, by Natalie WexlerResources:Listen: Special: Why the Science of Reading isn't just about reading, with Natalie WexlerListen: Conversation with Make It Stick author Peter C. Brown Listen: Cognitive load theory: Four items at a time, with Greg AshmanSubstack: The Bell Ringer by Holly KorbeyJoin our community Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/scienceofreadingConnect with Susan Lambert: www.linkedin.com/in/susan-lambert-b1512761/Listen to Illinois administrator Serena Klosa on Beyond My Years!Quotes: “We're overlooking the ways in which the typical approach to teaching reading comprehension and writing actually conflict with what cognitive science tells us about how people learn to do those things.” —Natalie Wexler“We spend much more time trying to teach…them to read, but we kind of expect them to just pick up writing. You know, for most kids, it does not happen.” —Natalie Wexler“No matter how good you are at making inferences, if you don't have the requisite background knowledge, you're not gonna be able to do it.” —Natalie Wexler“It doesn't work to just ask inexperienced writers to just write down stuff. That is not going to provide the cognitive benefits.” —Natalie WexlerEpisode timestamps*02:00 Introduction: Who is Natalie Wexler?04:00 Natalie's new book07:00 What is the science of learning?11:00 Connecting the science of learning to reading, writing, literacy14:00 Automaticity and cognitive load theory17:00 Transferable vs non-transferable skills22:00 Strategies to release cognitive load when learning new skills24:00 Learning to write, writing to learn.29:00 Bringing science informed teaching to scale32:00 What readers will take away from the book33:00 Mailbag question: How can one person get more colleagues to use an evidence-based approach?36:00 Final thoughts*Timestamps are approximate

If you want to understand the crisis in education, look no further than Natalie Wexler's "The Knowledge Gap," one of the most important books of the past ten years. Is reading a skill you apply to any text, like stretching a muscle, or playing a video game, or is it, as our tradition defines it, something entirely different, something based on knowledge of the world, of life, and of relating to a larger story?

In this episode, I catch up with Natalie Wexler to discuss her new book, Beyond the Science of Reading. Our wide-ranging conversation covers often underrepresented areas of the science of reading, including the importance of background knowledge for comprehension, cognitive load theory, and explicit writing instruction. Listen and subscribe to Progressively Incorrect on…SpotifyYouTubeApple PodcastsWordPress This … Continue reading S4E16: Natalie Wexler on Knowledge, Cognitive Science, and Beyond Phonics

We would love to hear from you! Send us a message (if you'd like a reply, email us at literacypodcast@greatminds.org)Phonics alone won't solve the literacy crisis.Natalie Wexler's new book: Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning advocates, which connects the science of reading to the broader science of learning.Key Points:The current reading crisis is fundamentally a learning crisis.Cognitive science principles, such as retrieval practice, should apply to all learning.Advocating for a knowledge-building curriculum supports all students, particularly those who struggle. Writing instruction should start with explicit techniques.All teachers should integrate literacy within their content.Beyond the Science of Reading advocates for an integrated approach to literacy that combines cognitive science principles with literacy instruction, emphasizing content knowledge, explicit writing instruction, and cross-disciplinary teaching to boost student success.ResourcesNatalie's new book Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of LearningDo We Need to Teach Comprehension Strategies Explicitly?The Writing Effect We answer your questions about teaching reading in The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night.Grab free resources and episode alerts! Sign up for our email list at literacypodcast.com.Join our community on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

High-impact tutoring has a wide body of evidence to support its efficacy, but how do you know what is and isn't “high-impact”?Is it better to brand yourself as an academic coach or an executive functioning coach?Should “executive functioning” be a class in school, or should it be embedded into all the classes?I invited my colleague David Schipper to episode 191 of De Facto Leaders to ponder some of these questions. David Schipper is the director of Strategic Learning Clinic, a position he has held since 2013. David obtained a B.A. in English Literature from Concordia University in 1998 as well as a B.Ed. in Secondary Education (English and History) from McGill University in 2002. After some work as a local teacher in Montreal, David founded 2Torial Educational Centre in 2007. Aside from his ability to put both parents and students at ease, David uses his clinic's fairly unique approach to help get to the root of students' learning challenges and propose the most suitable remediation to resolve these weaknesses. As a father of two children, David knows how to relate to the concerns of parents and as an experienced educator, thoroughly understands the struggles of students. His passion and dedication to teaching and learning is second to none. In this conversation, we discuss:✅The features of high-impact tutoring vs. traditional tutoring.✅How are “COVID high schoolers” doing now that they're in college?✅Strategies are important, but can you use a strategy without content knowledge?✅Executive functioning in the schools: How should it look across Tiers 1, 2, and 3?You can connect with David on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-schipper-1537972a/You can learn more about Strategic Learning Clinic on their website here: https://strategiclearning.ca/ on their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/SLCStrategicLearningClinicor on Instagram @strategiclearningclinic (https://www.instagram.com/strategiclearningclinic/)You can find the National Education Association article on High-Impact Tutoring here: https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/high-impact-tutoring, and can find additional research on the impact of High-Impact Tutoring and COVID learning loss here: https://educationlab.uchicago.edu/2024/03/national-study-finds-in-school-tutoring-programs-are-successfully-accelerating-student-learning-reversing-pandemic-era-learning-loss/ We also mentioned Natalie Wexler's work in this episode. You can learn more about her work on her website here: https://nataliewexler.com/Listen to David's previous interview on De Facto Leaders here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-162-the-summer-slide-real-phenomenon-or-invented-by-tutoring-companies-with-david-schipper/In this episode, I mention the School of Clinical Leadership, my program that helps related service providers develop a strategic plan for putting executive functioning support in place in collaboration with their school teams. You can learn more about that program here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/clinicalleadership We're thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL's comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers' timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments

Do your students struggle to turn their ideas into cohesive, organized writing? If so, you're not alone. Outlining is an essential step in the writing process, yet it's often rushed or overlooked in classrooms. In today's episode, we're diving into the art of teaching outlining—a skill that makes writing easier and more effective for students. By helping students create a roadmap for their writing, you'll set them up for success and reduce the frustration of staring at a blank page.Drawing inspiration from The Writing Rope by Joan Sedita and The Writing Revolution by Judith Hochman and Natalie Wexler, we'll explore why spending more time in the “think and plan” stage can transform your students' writing. We'll discuss how outlines reduce the cognitive load of drafting and make the writing process more efficient. Whether it's brainstorming ideas, organizing details, or structuring a paragraph, outlining is the key to unlocking confident and skilled student writers.In this episode, I'm sharing three strategies to help your students master outlining. From teaching them to identify the task, audience, and purpose (TAP) to practicing paragraph deconstruction, you'll walk away with practical tips to implement immediately. Plus, you'll discover how to seamlessly integrate outlining into your literacy block and beyond, empowering your students to write with clarity and confidence.Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join!Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Sign up for my FREE Revision Made Easy email series here!Follow me on Instagram @thestellarteachercompany. To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode228.

Visit Natalie's Website, www.NatalieWexler.com  Follow Natalie on X @natwexler About The Author Natalie Wexler is an education journalist whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, and the Washington Post. She is the coauthor of The Writing Revolution 2.0. She is the author of The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America's Broken Education System and How To Fix It, and the new book, Beyond the Science of Reading, Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning.  

Hva skjer om vi kombinerer nyere forskning med gamle etablerte ideer om skole og undervisning? Lektor Morten Brattbakk mener at vi her finner løsningen på mye av det som idag skaper problemer i dagens samfunn, hvor barn er for mye på skolen, og både lærer for lite og leker for lite.  I denne samtalen snakker vi om cognitive load theory, arbeidsminnet og langtidsminnet, betydningen av kunnskap, hva som er problemet med kritisk tenking slik denne ferdigheten ofte omtales i skoledebatten, lærerens rolle som både trener og dommer i klasserommet, anonym retting, motivasjon og mening, for høye ambisjoner om hva barn skal lære som kommer i veien for mer realistiske mål, og hva slags forsøk vi bør gjøre for å forbedre dagens skole.  Se noen av Mortens kronikker her: Forskersonen.no, 2023, «— At skolen ikke klarer å drive tilpasset opplæring, har jeg og de fleste lærere i norsk skole visst i mange år» https://www.forskersonen.no/debattinnlegg-meninger-opplaeringsloven/at-skolen-ikke-klarer-a-drive-tilpasset-opplaering-har-jeg-og-de-fleste-laerere-i-norsk-skole-visst-i-mange-ar/2193130 Lektorbladet nr.4 2023, s.18-19, «Ekstern vurdering av standpunktkarakterer»: https://issuu.com/lektorbladet/docs/lektorbladet_0423   Wolfgang Wee Uncut episode 501, Morten Brattbakk | Norske Skolen, Pedagogikk, Pugging, Læreren vs Eleven, Mobbing, Fraværsgrensen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_Ga4XVjWFw Bøker nevnt og anbefalt: Daisy Christodoulou (2017) Making Good Progress, Oxford University Press Alexander Meyer (2020) Det store skolespranget, Universitetsforlaget Greg Ashman (2023) A Little Guide for Teachers: Cognitive Load Theory, Corwin Tidligere episoder på podkasten om relaterte tema:  Episode 84 Læring og demokrati i fremtidens skole, med Alexander Meyer https://larsogpaal.libsyn.com/episode-84-lring-og-demokrati-i-fremtidens-skole-med-alexander-meyer Episode 135 Natalie Wexler on the role of knowledge in education https://larsogpaal.libsyn.com/episode-135-natalie-wexler-on-the-role-of-knowledge-in-education Episode 127 Cro-Magnon på skolebenken https://larsogpaal.libsyn.com/episode-127-cro-magnon-p-skolebenken ---------------------------- Logoen vår er laget av Sveinung Sudbø, se hans arbeider på originalkopi.com Musikken er av Arne Kjelsrud Mathisen, se facebooksiden Nygrenda Vev og Dur for mer info. ----------------------------  Takk for at du hører på. Ta kontakt med oss på larsogpaal@gmail.com Det finnes ingen bedre måte å få spredt podkasten vår til flere enn via dere lyttere, så takk om du deler eller forteller andre om oss.  Både Lars og Pål skriver nå på hver sin blogg, med litt varierende regelmessighet. Du finner dem på disse nettsidene: https://paljabekk.com/ https://larssandaker.blogspot.com/   Alt godt, hilsen Lars og Pål

Welcome to Craft & Draft, where we explore the art of teaching and the science of learning. In today's episode, hosts Pam Ochoa and Jacob Chastain continue their summer book study of “The Knowledge Gap” by Natalie Wexler. Jacob and Pam as they share their final thoughts about the book, The Knowledge Gap.  They each […] The post #201 The Knowledge Gap Has Gaps appeared first on Craft & Draft.

Welcome to Craft & Draft, where we explore the art of teaching and the science of learning. In today's episode, hosts Pam Ochoa and Jacob Chastain continue their summer book study of “The Knowledge Gap” by Natalie Wexler. Join them as they explore chapters eleven, twelve and the epilogue in section three, “How We Can […] The post #200 The Knowledge Gap Book Study Finale and Our Thoughts appeared first on Craft & Draft.

Welcome to Craft & Draft, where we explore the art of teaching and the science of learning. In today's episode, hosts Pam Ochoa and Jacob Chastain continue their summer book study of “The Knowledge Gap” by Natalie Wexler. Join us as they explore chapters nine and ten in section three, “How We Can Change: Creating […] The post #199 Chapters 9-10 of The Knowledge Gap (Book Study) appeared first on Craft & Draft.

Welcome to Craft & Draft, where we explore the art of teaching and the science of learning. In today's episode, hosts Pam Ochoa and Jacob Chastain continue their summer book study of “The Knowledge Gap” by Natalie Wexler. Join us as they explore chapters seven and eight in section two, “How We Got Here: The […] The post #198 Chapters 7-8 of The Knowledge Gap (Book Study) appeared first on Craft & Draft.

Welcome to Craft & Draft, where we explore the art of teaching and the science of learning. In today's episode, hosts Pam Ochoa and Jacob Chastain continue their summer book study of “The Knowledge Gap” by Natalie Wexler. Join us as they explore the second three chapters of section one, The history of the Reading […] The post #197 Chapters 4-6 of The Knowledge Gap (Book Study) appeared first on Craft & Draft.

“We have lots of evidence that having knowledge of the topic really helps you with reading comprehension.”In this powerful Science of Reading Leadership episode, we welcome Natalie Wexler, an esteemed education writer and author of "The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America's Broken Education System—And How to Fix It." Natalie shares her extensive experience and dives into how we can bridge the educational divide with effective knowledge-building strategies.Key Takeaways:Understanding the Knowledge Gap: Natalie explains the knowledge gap concept, highlighting the disparity in background knowledge that contributes to the reading comprehension gap between socioeconomically diverse groups.Importance of Early Knowledge-Building: Discover the necessity of starting knowledge-building in early education to close the comprehension gap between different student demographics effectively.Strategies for Building Knowledge: Natalie provides practical advice on constructing knowledge in the classroom, emphasizing the importance of starting early and using engaging, content-rich materials.Role of Writing in Learning: Gain insights into how writing significantly boosts learning and retention by helping transfer and retrieve information from long-term memory.Curriculum Development: Learn about the pivotal role of adopting content-rich, knowledge-building curricula in schools.Important Timestamps00:00 - Introduction of Natalie Wexler and her contributions to education.04:26 - Explanation of knowledge-building in K-12 education and its significance.07:10 - Natalie highlights the importance of comprehension and vocabulary alongside phonics in reading education.18:25 - Discussion on using a content-rich curriculum and the role of teachers.21:55 - Natalie's advice for district leaders to accelerate reading achievement.Connect with Natalie WexlerWebsiteLinkedInX Science of Reading ResourcesWhat You Need to Know About the Science of ReadingA Guide to High-Quality Structured Literacy Materials

Welcome to Craft & Draft, where we explore the art of teaching and the science of learning. In today's episode, hosts Pam Ochoa and Jacob Chastain kick off their summer book study diving into “The Knowledge Gap” by Natalie Wexler. Join us as we dissect the first three chapters, delving into how reading is often […] The post #196 Chapters 1-3 of The Knowledge Gap (Book Study) appeared first on Craft & Draft.

Should we teach more knowledge and less process? Why has knowledge become a bad word? Racket catches up with K-12 expert Natalie Wexler, author of "The Knowledge Gap" This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.racket.news/subscribe

What would it take to narrow the knowledge gap between high-achieving and struggling students when it comes to reading and writing?  Education writer Natalie Wexler joins Host Dr. Liz Brooke in Season 2, Episode 8. Wexler is author of “The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America's Broken Education System—and How to Fix It.” Her writing focuses on content-centric education and charts possible routes to achieving educational and social equity.  Gain a critical understanding of how content-focused instruction improves student success. Wexler and Brooke break down the findings behind several in-classroom studies that have changed how certain curriculums approach instruction while providing actionable tips for ensuring every student has an equal opportunity to excel. Explore the impact of content knowledge, including:  How teachers can assess if they are narrowing the knowledge gap Why the science of reading is not just “more phonics” How to combine reading comprehension and foundational skills to improve literacy skills  Why standardized reading comprehension tests are flawed Listen to Episode 8 of All For Literacy® to understand how to narrow the knowledge gap, increase student literacy skills, and set up the classroom for equitable education.

The most effective reading instructional practices aren't always the ones that gain traction.It's the ones with the most successful marketing campaigns. The best marketer wins; but this certainly isn't a win for the students who go without effective instruction or the school staff struggling to support them. That's why I was so excited to talk with Dr. Pamela Snow about the growing body of research relating to literacy and its impact on life outcomes; as well as how we can improve the discourse surrounding effective instruction and improve instructional practices.Pamela Snow is a Professor of Cognitive Psychology in the School of Education at the Bendigo campus of La Trobe University, Australia. She is also Co-Director of the Science of Language and Reading (SOLAR) Lab. Pamela is a registered psychologist, having qualified originally in speech-language pathology and has taught a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate education and health professionals. Her research has been funded by nationally competitive schemes such as the ARC Discovery Program, ARC Linkage Program, and the Criminology Research Council, and concerns the role of language and literacy skills as academic and mental health protective factors in childhood and adolescence. She has conducted research on the profiles and needs of high-risk groups such as youth offenders, children and adolescents in the state care system and flexible education systems, as well as research advancing evidence in the language-to-literacy transition in the early years of school. In 2020, Pamela established, with her colleague, Professor Tanya Serry, The Science of Language and Reading (SOLAR) Lab in the School of Education at La Trobe University. Pamela's research has been published in a wide range of international journals and she was a member of the 2017 National Year 1 Literacy and Numeracy Panel, convened by the Hon. Simon Birmingham, Federal Education Minister. She is a Life Member of Speech Pathology Australia and a past Victorian State Chair of the Australian Psychological Society. Pamela has over 170 publications, comprising refereed papers, books and book chapters, monographs and research reports. In addition to these academic outputs, Pamela writes a popular blog for teachers, parents, and clinicians: The Snow Report - https://pamelasnow.blogspot.com/ and is a founding Associate Editor of The Reading League Journal. In this interview, we discuss:✅The impact of social media on the dissemination of research in education.✅Can the discussion of reading research become an ongoing feedback loop between people teaching reading and those conducting research?✅Comprehension and application are the end goals when it comes to the goal of education. But how do we define what “comprehension” is and how we work on it? ✅Play-based learning vs early reading instruction: Why they aren't in opposition.✅Using explicit instruction to build skills needed for problem-solving and successful project-based learning.✅Whose job is it to work on reading? How much is the responsibility of the schools, and what is the parent's job?You can connect with Dr. Snow on X (formerly Twitter) @pamelasnow2 (https://twitter.com/PamelaSnow2) or on her blog at: http://pamelasnow.blogspot.com/We mentioned the following articles on her blog in this episode including:Balanced Literacy Bingo (Link here: http://pamelasnow.blogspot.com/2022/11/balanced-literacy-bingo.html)School leaders and reading instruction: Time to demand LESS rather than more autonomy (Link here: http://pamelasnow.blogspot.com/2023/10/school-leaders-and-science-of-reading.html)You can also learn more about her work on her La Trobe University page at: https://scholars.latrobe.edu.au/pcsnowYou can learn more about the Science of Language and Reading (SOLAR) lab at: https://www.latrobe.edu.au/school-education/about/spotlightThe number of experts and resources were mentioned in this episode, including:Dr. Anita Archer: https://explicitinstruction.org/Dr. David C. Geary: https://psychology.missouri.edu/people/gearyDr. Louisa Moats: https://louisamoats.com/Dr. Steven Dykstra: https://iferi.org/dr-steven-dykstra/Natalie Wexler: https://nataliewexler.com/Nancy Hennessey's “The Reading Comprehension Blueprint”: https://products.brookespublishing.com/The-Reading-Comprehension-Blueprint-P1197.aspxIn this episode, I mention Language Therapy Advance Foundations, my program that helps SLPs create a system for language therapy. You can learn more about Language Therapy Advance Foundations here: https://drkarenspeech.com/languagetherapy/ We're thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL's comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers' timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments

This week, Kaity and Adriane chat with Natalie Wexler, an education writer and the author of "The Knowledge Gap," about the root causes of the pervasive knowledge gap, the unintended consequences of modern education, and actionable solutions for closing the achievement gap and igniting a love of learning in students.Episode 43 also explores: 

Millions of kids aren't meeting current reading comprehension guidelines. With so many young people falling through the cracks, what's broken within the current curriculum? What's the best way to actually teach reading? Education expert Natalie Wexler joins us to share important insights on emerging research and what parents should know. Learn More: https://viewpointsradio.org/2-3-of-students-are-testing-below-proficiency-in-reading-why-were-failing-the-next-generation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alexander Meyer er tilbake på podkasten, og vi diskuterer litt av responsen han har fått på boken Det store skolespranget (Universitetsforlaget 2020), John Hattie, tvangens usynlighet, lærerens autoritet og mangel på sådan, motsetningen mellom progressiv og tradisjonell pedagogikk, problemer med elevsentrerte pedagogiske ideer, kunnskap vs ideologi, hvordan barn bruker mer tid i skolen uten at vi dermed har fått bedre resultater, om skolen skal oppdra barn, Direct Instruction, hva vi bør forvente fra god utdanningsforskning, hvilke spørsmål og hypoteser vi ikke utforsker i skoleforskningen, tidligere intervjuer her på podkasten med Natalie Wexler og Peter Gray, og hva som skjedde da Alexander gjennomførte «verdens kjedeligste uke» i en barneskoleklasse.  Om en slik episode virkelig har en funksjon så er det i de tilbakemeldingene og motargumentene som den måtte lede til, så vi hører veldig gjerne fra dere: hva tenkte du når du hørte denne episoden? Hvilke spørsmål er nyttige, hvilke er uklare, og hvor tenker du det er mest å hente for en bedre samtale om skole og læring i fremtiden?  Forrige prat med Alexander på podkasten, ep.84: https://larsogpaal.libsyn.com/episode-84-lring-og-demokrati-i-fremtidens-skole-med-alexander-meyer ---------------------------- Logoen vår er laget av Sveinung Sudbø, se hans arbeider på originalkopi.com Musikken er av Arne Kjelsrud Mathisen, se facebooksiden Nygrenda Vev og Dur for mer info. ----------------------------  Takk for at du hører på. Ta kontakt med oss på larsogpaal@gmail.com Det finnes ingen bedre måte å få spredt podkasten vår til flere enn via dere lyttere, så takk om du deler eller forteller andre om oss.  Både Lars og Pål skriver nå på hver sin blogg, med litt varierende regelmessighet. Du finner dem på disse nettsidene: https://paljabekk.com/ https://larssandaker.blogspot.com/   Alt godt, hilsen Lars og Pål

Shannon and Mary are joined in by Linda Rhyne in the Reading Teachers Lounge. They share a deep dive of information from the book, The Knowledge Gap by Natalie Wexler. This episode is full of information and strategies to increase your student's knowledge helping them dive deep into comprehension and knowledge building.  Linda Rhyne is a returning guest to the show and shares her expertise in guiding professional discussions to help educators meet their student's literacy goals. RECOMMENDED RESOURCES AND ONES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODEThe Knowledge Gap by Natalie Wexler *Amazon affiliate linkThe Reading Comprehension Blueprint by Nancy Lewis Hennessy *Amazon affiliate linkThe Reading Comprehension Blueprint Activity book by Nancy Lewis Hennessy *Amazon affiliate linkCultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy by Gholdy Muhammad *Amazon affiliate linkLinda Rhyne ConsultingPlacing Texts at the Center of the Science Aligned ELA Classroom PDFM. Liben, S. PimentelPodcast recommended listening: Melissa and Lori Love Literacy, Ep. 37: Placing Text at the Center of the ELA Classroom with Meredith Liben & Sue Pimentel Knowledge Matters Campaign Tim Shananon blog: Knowledge or Comprehension Strategies?Centering Knowledge Building: An Interactive Reading Guide. Users can access the materials Shannon and Mary used in exploring The Knowledge Gap. Linda created this interactive course and now for $25 you can access this treasury of science of reading texts and recommended articles. Listeners can use the code "LOUNGE" for $5 off!Contact Linda through e-mail contact@lindarhyneconsulting.comFollow Linda on Instagram @lindarhyneconsultingour season 5 episode with Linda Balancing It AllGet a free Green Chef box using our link.Support the showGet Literacy Support through our Patreon

FROM FEBRUARY 24, 2023In today's episode, we discuss the structure and content of the literacy block. How can we teach using structured literacy in small groups? Kinder teacher Casey Jergens and author Natalie Wexler join us to connect theory and practice. Casey previously taught using a guided (leveled) reading approach with lots of small group time. In recent years, he's switched to focus on Tier 1 instruction aligned to structured literacy, which supports access for all students. ResourcesElementary Classrooms Are Too Noisy For Kids To Learn by Natalie Wexler Casey's Twitter HandleNatalie Wexler's Twitter Handle Connect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

In this episode Lars speaks with Natalie Wexler about the role of knowledge in learning, and of knowledge rich curriculums in school. We discuss the reception of E.D. Hirsch, the importance of content for writing and reading instruction, the relationship between skills and knowledge, curriculum debates and culture wars, testing reading comprehension, Bloom's taxonomy, Montessori pedagogy, and much more.  Natalie Wexler has published two books relevant to the topic of our conversation: The Knowledge Gap (2019) and The Writing Revolution (2017), the last one together with Judith C. Hochman. She also is the host of the six episode podcast Knowledge Matters podcast, and she publishes regularly on her Substack: https://nataliewexler.substack.com/ For further reading, Natalie recommends Daisy Christodoulou's book Seven Myths about Education.  For the debate about school reform, Matthew Iglesias and Freddie deBoer, see: https://nataliewexler.substack.com/p/reports-of-the-death-of-education ---------------------------- Our logo is by Sveinung Sudbø, see his works on originalkopi.com The music is by Arne Kjelsrud Mathisen, see the facebook page Nygrenda Vev og Dur for more info.  ----------------------------  Thank you for listening. You can contact us on our facebook page or by email: larsogpaal@gmail.com There is no better way for the podcast to gain new interested listener than by you sharing it with friends, so if you find what we do interesting and useful, please consider doing just that. The podcast is still most in Norwegian, but we have a lot of episodes coming out in English.  Our blogs: https://paljabekk.com/ https://larssandaker.blogspot.com/ Alt godt, hilsen Lars og Pål

From October 21, 2021 Kory Jensen is a 4th grade teacher in Colorado, obsessed with learning more about reading science! He read The Knowledge Gap by Natalie Wexler… which set him off to learn more about knowledge building. On today's podcast, he talks about how background knowledge impacts his students' comprehension and engagement (spoiler alert: they love going deep into topics!). He provides real-life examples and ways to supplement knowledge on topics through experiences, experiments, texts, videos, and more. Kory's optimism shines through and we can't get enough of his lifelong learner spirit. “When you build knowledge and give students opportunities to learn, you'll be impressed by what they can do.” Thanks, Kory! Connect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

This edWeb podcast is sponsored by XanEdu, a Scholarus Learning Company.The webinar recording can be accessed here.Our students' performance on the whole on national reading tests has not improved over the past two decades (NAEP, 2023). More troubling, the gap in scores between socioeconomic groups has remained stubbornly wide.Recent reform efforts have focused on improving instruction in phonics and other foundational skills. That's crucial, but the evidence indicates it's not enough. We also need to change our approach to reading comprehension to take account of a key factor that has long been overlooked: knowledge.Some students are better able to acquire knowledge of the world outside of school beginning at birth, enabling them to read more complex text. Others rely on school for that kind of knowledge. If they don't start acquiring it early, the gap between “good” and “poor” readers only grows wider as grades go up.Listen to this edWeb podcast to hear Natalie Wexler, education journalist and author of The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America's Broken Education System—and How to Fix It, share the research along with her insights and perspectives on how we can give all students access to the kind of knowledge that enables reading comprehension—and learning in general.This edWeb podcast is of interest to K-12 teachers, librarians, and school and district leaders and is part of the Leading by Design: 6 Initiatives You Can't Afford to Get Wrong district leadership series where you learn from leaders who are pulling together the elements of successful schooling.XanEdu, a Scholarus Learning Company XanEdu offers customized content solutions and professional services for K-12 and higher education.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Learn more about viewing live edWeb presentations and on-demand recordings, earning CE certificates, and using accessibility features.

On this week's Education Gadfly Show podcast, Natalie Wexler, host of the Knowledge Matters podcast, joins Mike to discuss the connection between knowledge building and reading comprehension. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber covers a new study on the efficacy of college and workforce partnerships in the P-Tech high school model.Recommended content:“The science of reading isn't just ‘phonics,' but what else is it?” —Natalie Wexler, Forbes"Knowledge matters podcast” —Natalie Wexler“Social studies instruction and reading comprehension: Evidence from the early childhood longitudinal study” —Adam Tyner, The Fordham InstituteRachel Rosen, Emma Alterman, Louisa Treskon, Leigh Parise, Michelle Dixon, and Cassie Wuest, “P-TECH 9-14 Pathways to Success,” MDRC (October 2023).Feedback Welcome: Have ideas for improving our podcast? Send them to Daniel Buck at dbuck@fordhaminstitute.org.

Natalie Wexler, an American education writer, worries that elementary schools in the United States don't do enough to help students build up a knowledge base that would assist them with reading comprehension. She joins host Jeff Douglas to talk about "closing the knowledge gap," ahead of her talk at the Cross-Canada Research-Ed Conference in Halifax.

Millions of kids are failing to meet reading comprehension standards. With so many young people falling through the cracks, we look at what's broken within the current curriculum and how new research on reading education can lead to some improvements. Education expert Natalie Wexler joins us to share important insights and what parents can also do at home to bolster these skills. Learn More: https://viewpointsradio.org/2-3-of-students-are-testing-below-proficiency-in-reading-why-are-literacy-rates-so-low Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This edWeb podcast is sponsored by Amplify.The webinar recording can be accessed here.Featuring special guest speaker Natalie Wexler in conversation with Alli Rice and Dr. Matt Patterson.Listen to this edWeb podcast to hear Natalie Wexler, author of The Knowledge Gap and host of the first season of the Knowledge Matters Podcast, in conversation with Science of Reading Star Award Winner Alli Rice and Assistant Superintendent Dr. Matt Patterson. Natalie, Alli, and Dr. Patterson discuss how knowledge has been proven over and over to lead to real literacy success for students from all backgrounds.You learn why knowledge is a critical component of literacy success and educational equity, and how it's just as important as word recognition. You also hear real-life stories from the classroom and explore why leaders must embrace evidence-based literacy practices such as systematic building of academic knowledge in order to improve student reading outcomes. And you discover the top five ways to tell if a literacy program does—or does not—build the academic knowledge your students deserve.This edWeb podcast is of interest to elementary and middle school teachers and school and district leaders.Amplify Helping teachers celebrate and develop student thinking.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Learn more about viewing live edWeb presentations and on-demand recordings, earning CE certificates, and using accessibility features.

In this episode Lars speaks with Adrian Johns, who is a history professor at the University of Chicago. He recently published the book The Science of Reading (University of Chicago Press, 2023), in which he writes about the history of the science of reading since the early psychology experiments in the late nineteenth century measuring eye movements, to large sociological studies of reading, libraries and readability in the 1930s, the reading wars in the 1950s, psycholinguistics and phonics, current debates about reading, and much more.  We talk about early psychological research, psychophysics, the German pioneer Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920), research on reading, Edmund Burke Huey (1870-1913), early research on eye tracking during reading, the readability of a text, the reading wars, phonics, the National Defense Education Act (1958), different ways of understanding reading comprehension, how we use the data from standardized tests, the importance of background knowledge for reading comprehension, the different ways we read different texts in different contexts, reading the Bible, as well as British pirate radio in the fifties and sixties.    Adrian Johns' books: The Science of Reading: Information, Media, and Mind in Modern America (Chicago, 2023) Death of a Pirate: British Radio and the Making of the Information Age (Norton, 2010) Piracy: The Intellectual Property Wars from Gutenberg to Gates (Chicago, 2009) The Nature of the Book: Print and Knowledge in the Making (Chicago, 1998)   Books mentioned:  Rudolf Flesch, Why Johnny Can't Read (1955) Jeanne Chall, Learning to Read: The Great Debate (1967) Edmund Burke Huey, The Psychology and Pedagogy of Reading (1908) Kirsten Macfarlane, Biblical Scholarship in an Age of Controversy (2021) Francis Spufford, Red Plenty (2010) Natalie Wexler, The Knowledge Gap (2019) See also Wexler's review article of Adrian Johns' book, which we address towards the end of the episode:  https://www.educationnext.org/evolving-science-of-how-we-read-book-review-the-science-of-reading-johns/   ---------------------------- Our logo is by Sveinung Sudbø, see his works on originalkopi.com The music is by Arne Kjelsrud Mathisen, see the facebook page Nygrenda Vev og Dur for more info.  ----------------------------  Thank you for listening. You can contact us on our facebook page or by email: larsogpaal@gmail.com There is no better way for the podcast to gain new interested listener than by you sharing it with friends, so if you find what we do interesting and useful, please consider doing just that. The podcast is still most in Norwegian, but we have a lot of episodes coming out in English.  Our blogs: https://paljabekk.com/ https://larssandaker.blogspot.com/   Alt godt, hilsen Lars og Pål

In this episode, Dr. Theresa Magpuri-Lavell joins Mary and Alicia to discuss Natalie Wexler's book, Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America's Broken Education System How to Fix It.

In this episode, Sam Weaver reads aloud his article, “The Knowledge Gap Highlights a Failing of America's Schools.” In that essay, he examines The Knowledge Gap, a 2019 book by education writer Natalie Wexler. Although Wexler's book sheds light on the shocking degree to which American elementary schools have abandoned teaching knowledge of the world, Weaver argues that her assessment is charitable, and that the anti-knowledge trend should be regarded as a moral crime against generations of students. Weaver's article was originally published in New Ideal, the Ayn Rand Institute's journal, on June 14, 2023. Podcast audio:

Welcome to the inaugural episode of the six-part Knowledge Matters Podcast series, "Reading Comprehension Revisited," where education writer and host, Natalie Wexler, tackles one of the most pressing issues in education: the reading crisis. Natalie poses essential questions: Why do students from low-income backgrounds typically score lower on reading tests? Why do improvements in the early grades fade out as students advance to higher levels? And most significantly, why haven't substantial investments in education reform delivered expected results? The answer lies in a longstanding but misguided emphasis on teaching reading comprehension skills in isolation rather than building students' knowledge of the world. In this first episode Natalie introduces the roots of America's hidden reading crisis, and the urgent need to revisit our approach to teaching reading comprehension.For more information about the information in this episode, including links to studies and pictures of the infographics mentioned, visit the episode webpage on the Knowledge Matters Podcast website.This podcast is produced by the Knowledge Matters Campaign. You can learn more about our work at www.knowledgematterscampaign.org and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Search the knowledgematters hashtag and join this important conversation. If you'd like to get in touch with Natalie, you can contact her through her website, www.nataliewexler.com. Production by Sarah Gilmore and Aidan Shea. Original music and sound engineering by Aidan Shea. Narration recorded at Bamboo Recording Studios.

In the second episode of "The Knowledge Matters Podcast: Reading Comprehension Revisited", host Natalie Wexler dives into persistent misconceptions about reading comprehension that have pervaded the education system for decades. Unpacking the fact that teachers have often believed they were teaching comprehension when, in fact, they weren't, Natalie explores the overlooked importance of knowledge in reading comprehension and its profound and under-recognized impact on student literacy. This is particularly significant for students from historically disadvantaged groups.Featuring prominent reading researcher, Dr. Hugh Catts – a professor of communication science and disorders at Florida State University – this episode explains that reading comprehension is not a set of discrete skills that can be applied to any text. Instead, Natalie and Hugh explain that comprehension is deeply intertwined with the reader's prior knowledge about the topic and the world in general, along with the vocabulary that grows alongside that knowledge. This means that teaching reading comprehension as a set of abstract skills, often at the expense of subjects like history and science, can lead to students struggling to understand texts at higher grade levels. And while standardized reading comprehension tests purport to measure comprehension skills, they often end up assessing whether students have the knowledge and vocabulary to understand the test passages.It's crucial to teach kids to decode, and the attention being focused on that issue is hugely important. But unless we also start building knowledge and vocabulary in the early grades, many students will hit a wall at higher grade levels, when texts become more complex.For more information about the information in this episode, including links to studies and pictures of the infographics mentioned, visit the episode webpage on the Knowledge Matters Podcast website.This podcast is produced by the Knowledge Matters Campaign. You can learn more about our work at www.knowledgematterscampaign.org and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Search the knowledgematters hashtag and join this important conversation. If you'd like to get in touch with Natalie, you can contact her through her website, www.nataliewexler.com. Production by Sarah Gilmore and Aidan Shea. Original music and sound engineering by Aidan Shea. Narration recorded at Bamboo Recording Studios.

Coming soon: "Reading Comprehension Revisited," the inaugural series from the Knowledge Matters Podcast.  Hosted by Natalie Wexler, education journalist and author of “The Knowledge Gap”, this series explores one of the most pressing dilemmas in education today: the hidden cause of America's reading crisis.In this powerful and compelling series, Natalie tackles crucial questions such as, why do students from low-income backgrounds typically score lower on reading tests? Why do improvements in the early grades fade out as students advance to higher levels? And most significantly, why haven't substantial investments in education reform delivered expected results?The answer lies in a longstanding misunderstanding about reading comprehension itself, and how students learn to make meaning from texts. Over six episodes, you'll learn what research tells us about how children really learn to read, and you'll hear from educators from around the country as they share their experiences of embedding knowledge-building into their literacy instruction, and the powerful effects this change had on their students.Season 1 is coming soon, so subscribe to the Knowledge Matters Podcast, and be a part of this important conversation.This podcast is produced by the Knowledge Matters Campaign. You can learn more about our work at www.knowledgematterscampaign.org and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Search the knowledgematters hashtag and join this important conversation. If you'd like to get in touch with Natalie, you can contact her through her website, www.nataliewexler.com. Production by Sarah Gilmore and Aidan Shea. Original music and sound engineering by Aidan Shea. Narration recorded at Bamboo Recording Studios.

We had the opportunity to talk (again!) with Natalie Wexler about tips for effective remote learning (read her full article located here), the current intersection of students' virtual learning and strategy-focused instruction (due to lack of knowledge-based, high quality curricula) and how parents are noticing! How can we teach strategies in context while building knowledge? Listen to find out!More recently, Wexler wrote a piece titled How Reading Instruction Oppresses Black and Brown Children, located here. She ends with this quote: "If people truly understood the needless damage being done by our schools every day, they would be out in the streets demanding change." Natalie, we hear you, and WE ARE! We are shouting from the rooftops... or more accurately, shouting from the podcast apps! :)American Educator magazine released an excerpt of The Knowledge Gap - find it here! 

Back in 2019, Natalie Wexler joined Susan Lambert as the very first guest on Science of Reading: The Podcast. Now—more than three years and three million downloads later—Science of Reading: The Podcast welcomes Natalie back on the show. She and Susan discuss what she's seen in the 3+ years since releasing her groundbreaking book The Knowledge Gap and delve into the importance of managing cognitive load, building long-term memory, writing, and the broader science of literacy. Lastly, Natalie shares what she hopes to see in the education headlines in the not-so-distant future. Show notes:Our first episode with Natalie Wexler, The Knowledge GapThe Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America's Broken Education System—And How to Fix It , by Natalie WexlerBloom's TaxonomyOne Sentence At A Time, by Judith C. Hochman and Natalie WexlerThe Writing Revolution websiteKnowledge Matters CampaignStatement from Knowledge Matters CampaignQuotes:“I'm a little worried that Science of Reading, narrowly defined, isn't encompassing everything we need to do. And people are getting the idea that if they just add more phonics to what they're already doing, they'll have solved the problem.” —Natalie Wexler“Even if we do a great job on that foundational skills side of things, if we are not also changing current standard practice with regard to comprehension. If we don't start building kids' academic knowledge and vocabulary early, we are gonna find, at higher grade levels, kids are gonna be able to decode complex text, but they may not be able to understand it.” —Natalie Wexler“There are serious problems with how we have been approaching decoding instruction. There are equally serious problems with how we've been approaching comprehension instruction, and that's the message that I think is not getting out.” —Natalie Wexler“You can't get to the top without going through the bottom. You can't think critically about a topic that you don't have understanding or knowledge of, it's just not going to work.” —Natalie Wexler“Here's the catch about writing: It's hugely important. It can help cement knowledge and long-term memory, and deepen knowledge.” —Natalie Wexler“Even if you as a teacher have doubts about the curriculum. It's really important to give it your best shot and approach it with enthusiasm.” —Natalie Wexler“It's great to focus attention on problems with phonics instruction, but we also need to bring attention to problems with comprehension instruction and the failure to build a kind of knowledge that fuels comprehension.” —Natalie Wexler“What has amazed me is how many teachers and educators have nevertheless really embraced this message. And I think that really speaks to how much they care about their students. Change is hard, but they are undertaking it daily.” —Natalie Wexler 

In today's episode, we discuss the structure and content of the literacy block. How can we teach using structured literacy in small groups? Kinder teacher Casey Jergens and author Natalie Wexler join us to connect theory and practice. Casey previously taught using a guided (leveled) reading approach with lots of small group time. In recent years, he's switched to focus on Tier 1 instruction aligned to structured literacy, which supports access for all students. ResourcesElementary Classrooms Are Too Noisy For Kids To Learn by Natalie Wexler Casey's Twitter HandleNatalie Wexler's Twitter Handle Connect with usFacebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to stay connected with Melissa and Lori! Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum. 

How early is it appropriate for your child to start learning about history, social studies, and science, and how will starting this process affect their vocabulary and reading ability in their schooling? I'm sitting down with Natalie Wexler to discuss what's being taught in schools, the impact of core knowledge in early education, and why reading comprehension is about more than just reading at their grade level.   Get full show notes and more information here: https://planningplaytime.com/13 Help us unlock some fun surprises for you and your kiddo to celebrate the podcast launch! Find out how here: https://planningplaytime.com/podcastlaunch/

Parents expect schools to teach their children knowledge about the world and basic skills such as reading. But Natalie Wexler's recent book The Knowledge Gap makes the case that many American schools have abandoned the responsibility of teaching substantive content, and that this rejection of the value of knowledge is exacerbating the nation's reading crisis. How should we evaluate the content-poor approach Wexler critiques? What are the effects of the trend favoring it? Do Wexler's criticisms of this trend and her warnings about its consequences go far enough? Join Elan Journo and Sam Weaver for a discussion of her analysis of the schools' abandonment of knowledge and what it reveals about the state of American education.

LISTEN AGAIN | FROM JULY 31, 2019Today we are live with Natalie Wexler, the author of The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America's Broken Education System–And How to Fix It (LISTENERS - IT'S AVAILABLE TODAY!). The book focuses on the lack of content in the elementary curriculum and its connection to what is commonly known as the achievement gap.Natalie provides a snapshot of research on building knowledge, then tangibly deconstructs the why and how behind the research making explicit connections to education classrooms today. She provides clear steps to take to ‘fix' the knowledge gap: adopting a content-focused curriculum to build knowledge, and providing teachers and leaders with ongoing professional development and coaching grounded in the curriculum. Pick up her book, The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America's Broken Education System–And How to Fix It. In the meantime, find articles and say hi to Natalie at https://nataliewexler.com/ or on Twitter @natwexler.Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us!Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram 

Ep. 117: The Writing Revolution with Authors Judith Hochman and Natalie WexlerThe Writing Revolution authors, Judith Hochman and Natalie Wexler, share a 'revolutionary' approach to writing. The best part: It begins at the sentence level AND content knowledge drives the rigor.  Moreover, there is an overlap in reading, writing, and critical thinking. What are the principles of The Writing Revolution?  There are six: Students need explicit instruction in writing, beginning in the early elementary grades.Sentences are the building blocks of all writing.When embedded in the content of the curriculum, writing instruction is a powerful teaching tool.The content of the curriculum drives the rigor of the writing activities.Grammar is best taught in the context of student writing.The two most important phases of the writing process are planning and revising.  ResourcesThe Writing Revolution, Not for ProfitThe Writing Revolution, The Atlantic, October 2012Writing and cognitive load theory, Natalie Wexler Connect with us!Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to subscribe to our newsletter. Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum. 

We all want our children to receive a high-quality education – one that builds knowledge and teaches them how to think. But how do we go about this? Charlotte Mason said that education should be focused on feeding children a feast of living ideas (from books) then narrating what they learn, by speaking or writing about it. But how does Mason's method compare to cognitive science today? And why is this method of educating children so effective? I've invited the author Natalie Wexler to discuss these questions and more on this episode. Natalie Wexler is an education writer and the author of The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America's Broken Education System—and How to Fix It (Avery 2019). She is also the co-author, with Judith C. Hochman, of The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades (Jossey-Bass 2017), and a senior contributor at Forbes.com. Her articles and essays on education and other topics have appeared in The NewYork Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and on her free newsletter, Minding the Gap. She has spoken on education before a wide variety of groups and appeared on a number of TV and radio shows, including Morning Joe and NPR's On Point and 1A. Find out more about Natalie and her work at her website, www.nataliewexler.com, or follow her on Twitter (@natwexler). Show Notes https://simplewonders.org/2022/12/09/the-connection-between-reading-and-thinking-w-natalie-wexler/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jessica9025/support