NYC Is Overhauling How Students Learn to Read. But Is the Joy of Reading Paying the Price? episode artwork

EPISODE · May 18, 2026 · 20 MIN

NYC Is Overhauling How Students Learn to Read. But Is the Joy of Reading Paying the Price?

from NYC NOW · host WNYC

New York City schools are overhauling the way students learn to read through a literacy initiative known as NYC Reads, built around the “science of reading” movement. City officials say the approach is already improving reading scores. But some teachers, parents and students say the curriculum relies too heavily on worksheets, rigid lessons and short excerpts, leaving students with fewer opportunities to immerse themselves in full books. WNYC’s education reporter Jessica Gould joins us to discuss the debate over phonics, reading stamina, and whether schools are improving literacy at the expense of fostering a love of reading. Photo: Wavebreakmedia via Getty Images -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published May 18, 2026

Embed this episode

NOW PLAYING

NYC Is Overhauling How Students Learn to Read. But Is the Joy of Reading Paying the Price?

0:00 20:03

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of NYC NOW?

This episode is 20 minutes long.

When was this NYC NOW episode published?

This episode was published on May 18, 2026.

Can I download this NYC NOW episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!