Introducing the Knowledge Matters Podcast: Reading Comprehension Revisited

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 #knowledgematters 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.

Transcript

Deloris Fowler: As time went along I just felt inside it was wrong. I mean, when my kids, my first graders are saying to me, am I always going to be in the low group, you know? And I knew, I was like, okay this is not a good feeling. This is just not a good culture to have where kids feel like they're trapped in that.

Natalie Wexler: There’s a hidden problem at the root of America’s reading crisis: we’ve overlooked the importance of building children’s knowledge of the world. That kind of knowledge is a crucial factor in reading comprehension, and it’s  one that our education system has largely ignored.

Natalie Wexler: This is a problem that affects all students, but it has its most devastating impact on children from historically disadvantaged groups. 

LaTonya Goffney: It was daunting, how Texas was at the bottom for African-American and Hispanic students. I was one of the only African-Americans in that room. Literacy was top of mind because of the problem I was trying to solve in my district. So I just literally raised my hand and I say,  "Um... Commissioner, so do we think that Black, brown, and students of poverty are just inherently inferior?". And then, of course, he said, "No." And I said, "Well, if not, then when are we gonna stop talking about it and do something about it?" 

Natalie Wexler: In the inaugural season of the Knowledge Matters Podcast, we’ll be exploring that problem—and the solution. Our six-part series is called Reading Comprehension Revisited. I’m Natalie Wexler, author of the book The Knowledge Gap, and I’ll be your host.

Natalie Wexler: We’ll talk about how and why the education system has gone so wrong when it comes to reading comprehension—approaching it as though it were a set of abstract skills, like “making inferences,” that kids need to practice repeatedly on texts at their individual reading levels. This approach is now deeply rooted, despite the evidence showing that knowledge of the world is far more important to comprehension than general skills.

Natalie Wexler: And we’ll hear from teachers and administrators who made the switch to a new kind of literacy curriculum—one that focuses on building kids’ knowledge and vocabulary instead of putting comprehension skills in the foreground. They’ll tell us what they saw happen after the switch.

Deloris Fowler: It blew me away.

Abby Boruff: I mean within like three pages, my kids could get that. And there's no way, there's no way that prior to doing that knowledge building, those inferences could have happened.

LaTonya Goffney: And to hear them say "Oh, Dr Goffney, we’re reading a novel, we got a novel!" And they were so happy about it. I just know based on my own homework, based on the work that we’ve done, that this is the right direction for the country. And I know that we've gotten it wrong so much that we’ve really got to get it right. 

Spring Cook: Because it is a matter of equity, it’s a matter of democracy, and when we’re able to give students those skills and that knowledge from an early age, then think what a better society we’ll have.

Natalie Wexler: During this six-part series, we'll delve deeper into these stories and the complex issues they raise.  "Reading Comprehension Revisited" will challenge assumptions, provoke thought, and most importantly, propose solutions that could not only restore the vital missing ingredient in our approach to reading comprehension–knowledge of the world–but also transform the trajectories of countless students' lives. This is a conversation you don't want to miss, and we want you to be a part of it.

Natalie Wexler: To make sure you don't miss an episode, subscribe to the Knowledge Matters Podcast on all major podcast platforms. The first episode is coming soon, and we promise it will be worth the wait.

Natalie Wexler: "Reading Comprehension Revisited" is produced by the Knowledge Matters Campaign. We encourage you to learn more about their work at knowledgematterscampaign.org. Engage with the campaign and join this critical conversation on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Simply search the KnowledgeMatters hashtag. 

Natalie Wexler: Thanks for listening. We’re looking forward to exploring this important topic with you.