Episode 18: 'Hard Words' (feat. Emily Hanford)

BY October 8, 2018
In this episode, we discuss the science-backed methodology for teaching kids how to read and why schools are not using it. Our guest, Emily Hanford of APM Reports talks to us about the history of reading education in the United States, the efficacy of various teaching methodologies, and how we can advocate for better teaching practices for our children. To learn more about this topic, listen to  "Hard Words" from APM Reports's Educate podcast. Emily Hanford has been working in public media for more than two decades as a reporter, producer, editor, news director and program host. She came to APM in 2008 to produce documentaries for American RadioWorks, which became part of APM Reports in 2016. She is senior producer for the Educate podcast. Her work has won numerous honors including a duPont-Columbia Award, a Casey Medal and awards from the Education Writers Association and the Associated Press. In 2017, she won the Excellence in Media Reporting on Education Research Award from the American Educational Research Association. She is a frequent speaker and moderator and host of the Ways & Means podcast. Emily is based in Washington, D.C. She is a graduate of Amherst College. [spp-player url=http://traffic.libsyn.com/voices4ed/18_-_Education_Post_-_Emily_Hanford.mp3] [spp-tweet tweet="“When it comes to reading, we are denying children the kind of direct instruction they need.” – Emily Hanford"]

Episode Details:

  • How Emily stumbled across the topic of "Hard Words"
  • History of the Reading Wars
  • The distinction between whole language and phonics approaches
  • How children learn to read
  • Why people resist using phonics
  • The scientific evidence in favor of phonics
  • How to advocate for better teaching practices without becoming "that parent"

Links Mentioned:

[spp-tweet tweet="“There is either not enough phonics going on in schools, or it's not approached in this explicit and systematic way.” – Emily Hanford"]
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