Podcast Share - Sold a Story

Daily Resource / April 4th, 2023

I have a distinct memory of sitting in my third-grade classroom, surrounded by bright colors and desks, learning about phonics. My teacher instructing us to sound it out and figure out the world by struggling with the sounds. It was a reading lesson, which at that point I needed more help with my spelling (still do), but other students needed it. They were struggling to read, due to a variety of issues rooted in their own biographies. The choral responses reading together, sounding out the words, and then moving on once we all were on the same page helped me to slow down my reading and get all the words.

I have been reflecting on this memory for the last week or so. A few weeks back I was lucky enough to present to a group of Utah English leaders. I showed up early to the presentation and I was lucky enough to hear another presenter talking about the issues surrounding reading. I spent most of my classroom time as a secondary and post-secondary educator and I was not as familiar with the issues with beginning reading instruction. The presenter recommended this podcast, Sold a Story by American Public Media. The podcast follows the conversation and controversies surrounding “Whole Language” vs. “Phonics” instruction from the 1960s to now. It is an eye-opening ride with lawmaking, advocacy, and reading taking center stage. One thought that I have been really sticking with is the idea to be wary of educational programs that make claims that are not backed by research, but also to check the research behind the claim. Sold a Story is a recommended podcast for any teacher seeking an understanding of the problems facing the profession both from a pedagogical standpoint and also the often big money trying to advocate for their programming in schools. Check out the trailer above or listen to the entire six-part story here.