Kymyona Burk and Emily Hanford on the Reading Wars

On this episode of The Report Card, Nat interviews Kymyona Burk, Senior Policy Fellow at ExcelinEd, and Emily Hanford, Senior Producer and Correspondent at American Public Media. Nat, Kymyona, and Emily discuss the reading wars, what's wrong with balanced literacy, Mississippi's rising reading scores, why reading isn't natural, Lucy Calkins, phonics, HBCUs, the science of reading, spelling bees, three cueing, the importance of proper teacher education, and more.Show Notes:In the Fight Over How to Teach Reading, This Guru Makes a Major RetreatHard Words: Why aren't kids being taught to read?Comprehensive How-To Guide: Approaches to Implementing Early Literacy PoliciesNew research shows controversial Reading Recovery program eventually had a negative impact on childrenStruggling readers need standards and structure based on the science of readingInfluential authors Fountas and Pinnell stand behind disproven reading theoryWhat the Words Say: Many kids struggle with reading – and children of color are far less likely to get the help they need