Sold a Story
Sold a Story

Sold a Story

APM Reports

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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.

Recent Episodes

The Outlier (Part 3)
MAR 6, 2025
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33 MIN
The Outlier (Part 2)
FEB 27, 2025
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30 MIN
The Outlier (Part 1)
FEB 20, 2025
The Outlier (Part 1)
<p>There’s a school district in eastern Ohio where virtually all the students become good readers by the time they finish third grade. Many of the wealthiest places in the country can’t even say that. And Steubenville is a Rust Belt town where the state considers almost all the students “economically disadvantaged.” How did they do it?</p><br/><p><strong>Explore:</strong> <a href="https://www.apmreports.org/story/2025/02/20/steubenville-ohio-reading-success-for-all?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=referral" class="Hyperlink SCXW94628936 BCX0">Steubenville, by the numbers</a> <br><strong>Read:</strong> <a href="https://www.apmreports.org/episode/2025/02/20/sold-a-story-e11-the-outlier?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=referral" class="Hyperlink SCXW94628936 BCX0">Transcript of this episode</a> </p><br/><p><strong>Book:</strong> <a href="https://hep.gse.harvard.edu/9781682536261/districts-that-succeed/" class="Hyperlink SCXW94628936 BCX0">Districts that Succeed</a> <br><strong>Book:</strong> <a href="https://hep.gse.harvard.edu/9781934742280/how-its-being-done/" class="Hyperlink SCXW94628936 BCX0">How It&#39;s Being Done</a> <br><strong>Podcast:</strong> <a href="https://edtrust.org/rti/extraordinary-districts/" class="Hyperlink SCXW94628936 BCX0">ExtraOrdinary Districts</a> </p><br/><p><strong>Donate: </strong><a href="https://support.americanpublicmedia.org/sold-a-story-sn" class="Hyperlink SCXW94628936 BCX0">Support our journalism</a> <br><strong>More:</strong> <a href="https://features.apmreports.org/sold-a-story/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=referral" class="Hyperlink SCXW94628936 BCX0">soldastory.org </a> <br><strong>Email us:</strong> <a href="mailto:soldastory@apmreports.org%E2%80%AF" class="Hyperlink SCXW94628936 BCX0">soldastory@apmreports.org </a> </p><br/><p>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 <a href="https://soldastory.org/extracredit" class="Hyperlink SCXW94628936 BCX0">soldastory.org/extracredit</a>. </p>
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31 MIN
10: The Details
APR 11, 2024
10: The Details
<p>Some of the teachers, students, parents and researchers we met in <em>Sold a Story</em> talk about the impact the podcast has had on their lives and in schools — and share some of their hopes and concerns about the “science of reading” movement.  </p><br/><p><strong>Portraits: </strong><a href="https://www.apmreports.org/story/2024/04/11/theres-a-thoughtfulness-about-reading-in-the-country-today?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=referral" class="Hyperlink SCXW208019507 BCX0">Zoe and Lee Gaul, Christine Cronin, Reid Lyon</a> <br><strong>Email us: </strong><a href="mailto:soldastory@apmreports.org" class="Hyperlink SCXW208019507 BCX0">soldastory@apmreports.org</a> </p><br/><p><strong>Video: </strong><a href="https://seidenbergreading.net/2023/12/23/recorded-version-of-yale-talk/" class="Hyperlink SCXW208019507 BCX0">Mark Seidenberg at Yale</a> <br><strong>Article: </strong><a href="https://seidenbergreading.net/2023/03/31/about-the-science-in-the-science-of-reading/" class="Hyperlink SCXW208019507 BCX0">Seidenberg on translating the science</a> <br><strong>Article: </strong><a href="https://readinguniverse.org/article/explore-teaching-topics/big-picture/10-maxims-the-research-support" class="Hyperlink SCXW208019507 BCX0">Lyon’s most important findings</a></p><br/><p><strong>Read:</strong> <a href="https://www.apmreports.org/episode/2024/04/11/sold-a-story-e10-the-details?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=referral" class="Hyperlink SCXW208019507 BCX0">Transcript of this episode</a> <br><strong>Watch:</strong> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmAxCgFDuLQ" class="default">The story behind </a><em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmAxCgFDuLQ" class="default">Sold a Story</a></em><br><strong>Donate:</strong> <a href="https://support.americanpublicmedia.org/sold-a-story-sn" class="Hyperlink SCXW208019507 BCX0">Support APM Reports</a> <br><strong>More:</strong> <a href="https://features.apmreports.org/sold-a-story/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=referral" class="Hyperlink SCXW208019507 BCX0">soldastory.org</a> </p><br/><p>Dive deeper into <em>Sold a Story</em> with a multi-part email series from host Emily Hanford. We’ll also keep you up to date on new episodes. Sign up at <a href="https://cloud.connect.americanpublicmedia.org/sold-a-story" class="Hyperlink SCXW208019507 BCX0">soldastory.org/extracredit</a>. </p>
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31 MIN