Forum From The Archives: Emily Hanford on 'How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong'

Decades of cognitive science research has shown that children need to be taught to sound out words in order to read. But school districts across the country often ignore or sideline that research in early grades, according to education reporter Emily Hanford, who says that’s one reason that more than 60% of U.S. fourth graders aren’t proficient readers. Hanford’s six-part podcast “Sold a Story,” released late last year by American Public Media, is being cited in newly proposed legislation across the U.S. aimed to address the problem. We talk to Hanford about what’s wrong with the way we teach kids to read and what can be done to improve literacy in California and nationwide.