'This is my kid; this is our story': Messages from listeners

We’ve heard from a lot of listeners in response to Sold a Story. 

More than 1,000 people sent emails or voice messages. Countless others responded on social media and in blog posts, articles and op-eds. 

Nearly 40 percent of the people who wrote or called us are teachers. Most teach elementary school, though we heard from many teachers in upper grades, too.

After teachers, the largest group we heard from is parents. Three quarters of the parents who wrote in said they were worried about their own child’s reading progress. For many families, thinking about reading instruction was new.

We heard from listeners in 47 states and Washington, D.C. We also heard from people in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Argentina, Germany, Austria, Ecuador, Poland and Switzerland.

More than a third of responders asked for more reporting. Some asked for a similar investigation into math. About 1 in 5 people who asked for further reporting wanted to know about solutions.  What’s working? Where? Why? Many people had questions about how to help older struggling readers. Several wanted to know more about the research on the Benchmark Assessment System that Matt Burns mentioned in Episode 5. (You can find his published studies here and here and here.)

Nearly a quarter of responders had specific requests, such as asking for advice about a situation at their school, wanting to know what curriculum to buy or how to word a public records request. More than 1 in 5 said they took some kind of action after hearing the podcast: going to a school board meeting, reading one of the books or articles we recommended, requesting a reading assessment for their child.

We heard some criticism. One woman believed we were blaming teachers. Others said we were focusing too much on decoding and not enough on reading comprehension. A group of 58 educators wrote a letter that was published by the Hechinger Report. The group, including Lucy Calkins and other people who have published with Heinemann, condemned the podcast for “attacking the integrity of a group of educators who have led pioneering research and helped advance our field.”

But more than anything else, what we heard from listeners were personal stories. You can hear some of the voice messages from listeners in our new Sold a Story bonus episode.

You can read a sample of the messages that came into our inbox here, and send more thoughts to soldastory@americanpublicmedia.org. Emails have been edited.

Teachers

From: S.A., Illinois
Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2023 12:29 PM
To: Sold a Story
Subject: Response

Thank you for opening the eyes of millions of teachers. As a preservice teacher — as well as someone who struggled with reading and works with struggling readers — it really hit me hard.

From: Patti Lowhorn, Michigan
Sent: Friday, March 17, 2023 10:43 AM
To: Emily Hanford
Subject: Thank you!

I absolutely never knew about the science of reading, and it blows my mind. Sold a Story has impacted me more than anything I have ever read, listened to, or learned. I sobbed. I'm nearing the end of my teaching career but have a new passion for helping anyone, young or old, struggling with reading.

From: Danielle Miller, Ontario, Canada
Sent: Friday, November 4, 2022 6:18 PM
To: Emily Hanford
Subject: Sold a Story – Change a life

In my youth, I struggled with reading. I believed I had a learning disability. I was able to hide it because I had developed strategies for reading. Last year, I started a new role as a literacy coach. I felt overwhelmed and incapable of doing this really important job. One day, someone sent me the link to At a Loss for Words. I will remember that day forever; it changed my life. I cried and realized the system had failed me and that I did not want that to happen to any other children. October of this year was a game changer when Sold a Story dropped. I have sent the link more times than I can count. I talk about it every day. The work you are doing is really helping people like me.

From: Ariela Young, Florida
Sent: Saturday, November 26, 2022 at 12:19 PM
To: Emily Hanford
Subject: Sold a Story - Thank You

I hold a masters in reading. I was taught about Marie Clay and her work. I was also sent by two independent schools to the weeklong training program with Lucy Calkins as well as multiple training sessions with Fountas and Pinnell. I was trained to love all the things these women had to offer. In the last few years, I noticed something was not working yet I was not sure what to do. A teacher sent me your podcast. As I was listening, I kept saying — oh my goodness, this is me! I am angry! I am frustrated! I hope to pass on the knowledge I have gained to my fellow teachers and to keep looking forward.

From: Céline Poirier, Ontario, Canada
Sent: Saturday, November 19, 2022 1:35 PM
To: Sold a Story
Subject: French First Language in Canada

This podcast helped me to understand why it’s so hard to get what I need in my classroom to help struggling readers, why it’s so hard to use it once I get it, and why the change that is needed in our system comes so slowly or not at all.

Parents

From: Michelle, Melbourne, Australia
Sent: Thursday, November 17, 2022 at 8:05 PM
To: Emily Hanford
Subject: Thank you from a parent in Australia

I want to join the chorus of parents saying, “Wow, this is my kid; this is our story.” And I want to let you know how much I appreciate the podcast as a tool for initiating conversations in our school community here in Australia.

From: Rebeca Ames, New York
Sent: Thursday, January 5, 2023 at 2:02 PM
To: Emily Hanford
Subject: Sold a Story — reflection, thanks and follow-up thoughts

I’m a parent of a dyslexic child. I fall into the “I KNOW!” category, largely because of your 2019 story. Your reporting helped me not fall for the “he’ll pick it up!” nonsense and get him evaluated last year. He’s currently in second grade and in a private school for kids with language-based learning disabilities. Parents constantly tell the story of a broken child going in and a confident child coming out of these schools. But it’s an almost $80,000-a-year school and we’re drowning trying to make this work.

From: Jenny, New Jersey
Sent: Tuesday, October 25, 2022 at 2:44 PM
To: Emily Hanford
Subject: Sold a Story — Failing as a Parent

I finally feel understood. My son is a second grader. He has been struggling with reading and writing. This has been so heartbreaking for me. Reading and writing are priorities in our home, yet I feel utterly hopeless. I don’t blame the teachers, and I respect them so much. Parents don’t talk about this with other parents. When you admit your kid is behind, does that mean you’ve failed as a parent? Then I wonder about the poor families (I grew up with a teenage single- mother-immigrant) who don’t know. Hearing from the parents on your first episode made me feel seen and inspired to reteach my son.

From: Heather Schebel, Iowa
Sent: Thursday, December 1, 2022 3:41 PM
To: Sold a Story
Subject: Thank you

I just binged your podcast. My eldest child is 20 and a sophomore in college. In 6th grade, he was in the gifted and talented program at school — but he couldn’t read. He went to tutoring (for $12,000) and FINALLY learned. That child, who couldn’t read a new word in 6th grade, got a perfect score in reading on the ACT. He is not lazy. He is not stupid. He wasn’t taught to read. Thank you for making me feel less alone. I’m crying again writing this. I guess I’m not quite over how hard we struggled even though we got him help.

From: Kelly Williams, Texas
Sent: Wednesday, November 30, 2022 12:07 PM
To: Sold a Story
Subject: Sold A Story — This is my family

I feel exactly like the parent in the podcast who didn’t want to contact the school because she doesn’t blame the teachers. My children’s teachers are giving their hearts and souls to their students; I’ve seen it. I tried to look up the curriculum on the district and state websites but it’s either not available or difficult to decipher. I don’t know where to go from here, but I’m glad I got this information regardless of how painful it was to hear. Now I hope I can figure out what to do with this new knowledge.

From: Sean, Maryland
Sent: Thursday, November 17, 2022 7:46 PM
To: Sold a Story
Subject: Love you podcast

I am so glad I found your podcast. Over the past couple of years, I would become so frustrated with my young reader when trying to read with him. He seemed to be guessing and when I tried to get him to sound out the words, he would instead look at the pictures. I began to think he was just lazy. After listening to your podcast, I have a much better understanding of what he was doing and now I can work with him to overcome these bad habits. I have been sharing your podcast with every young parent I know. It’s so important they understand the implications of poor instruction, and the harm it actually does. It’s so hard for working parents to also have to become reading educators but you opened my eyes to how important it is.

From: Ruth Roberts, Texas
Sent: Thursday, November 3, 2022 at 4:57 PM
To: Emily Hanford
Subject: Sold a Story

I had no idea the system was broken! Most parents do not know about this and it’s certainly not something that is discussed among young families about to send kids off to school. I wish someone had shared this information with us earlier.

Administrators and School Board Members

From: Amanda Lattin, Washington
Sent: Thursday, November 17, 2022 9:47 PM
To: Sold a Story
Subject: Reaction

I’m an elementary school assistant principal and my two daughters attend my school. Your podcast has been exactly what we needed to help teachers wrap their heads around the shift in reading instruction and why it needs to happen.

From: Mary-Margaret Zehr, New York
Sent: Tuesday, November 22, 2022 6:44 AM
To: APM Sold a Story
Subject: School Superintendent Idea

I am a superintendent in New York and am currently changing reading instruction to be based on the science of reading. This is the third district where I have made significant reading changes. The message needs to get to superintendents who have the ability to change the instruction in their school districts!

From: Rob Evans, Mississippi
Sent: Sunday, December 18, 2022 at 6:50 PM
To: Emily Hanford
Subject: Podcast

We, as a school board, have some difficult choices ahead of us. But thanks to you, instead of our having to fumble through trying to articulate what is going on, we’ve been able to say to many “Listen to this podcast, then let’s talk.” Thank you.

Kids

From: Layton, Tennessee
Sent: Thursday, November 17, 2022 5:52 PM
To: Sold a Story
Subject: Here’s what I think of Sold a Story

I have been listening to Sold a Story for the past few weeks. I’m a 5th grade student. When I was younger, I was taught to do phonics. I’ve always thought that it was the usual way. Listening to Sold a Story has made me feel a little more grateful.

From: Charlie, Wisconsin
Sent: Wednesday, November 23, 2022 11:17 AM
To: Sold a Story
Subject: Reading

I’m a 7th grader. I loved your podcast. For once I feel like I am not alone, and I can change our district. To help, I have become president of my school student council and an 8th grader is starting a newspaper to help bring awareness. 

Others

From: Carole Stubeck, New Jersey
Sent: Friday, December 16, 2022 9:55 AM
To: APM Sold a Story
Subject: Balanced literacy and link to explosive growth in graphic novels

I am an elementary school librarian at a high-performing school. I recently listened to Sold a Story and have begun digging into some of the related readings you suggest. All of this has me thinking hard about what I observe in student borrowing preferences, particularly with respect to graphic novels. The growth and popularity in the graphic novel format have been nothing short of phenomenal. I am wondering whether the cueing method and its reliance on pictures to ascertain meaning is somehow linked to the explosive popularity of this format of reading, and perhaps even driving it.

From: Madison Shields, California
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2023 at 5:32 PM
To: Emily Hanford
Subject: Thank you

I am 37 years old. When I was in first grade I could not read. I was pushed on to second grade, and I still could not read. From that point on, I was told that there was something wrong with me. I was the one with the issues and I was the one that needed to be fixed. I was tested. However, they never could figure out what learning disability I had. I grew up thinking — why is this so hard, and why me?? My sweet husband came into the house a few days ago and looked at me and said, “I don’t think you have a learning disability.” I laughed it off. This has been a part of my identity; it was a part of who I am. But Nathan doesn’t think so and he wanted me to listen to your podcast. This is exactly what I was taught. I am identifying with individuals you had on your podcast, especially Dan Corcoran.

From: Renee, Oregon
Sent: Monday, May 1, 2023 at 9:51 AM
To: Emily Hanford
Subject: THANK YOU!!!

I’m 45 years old. You have changed a fundamental belief I had about myself: that there was something wrong with me. When I heard the stories about students who inserted words, skipped words, and changed words, I laughed and cried because that was me! All the adults around me seemed so puzzled about why I was doing that. Remember those hidden image photos that were all over the malls in the 1990s? The ones where if you stared at the photo long enough, another image would pop out? Learning to read was kind of like that. The teacher puts a book in my hand and says, “Look at it and you’ll just start to read.” And all around you, kid after kid starts reading while I sit there and stare at the words and wonder how and when they’ll start making sense. I was one of the lucky ones whose parents had the time and money to sort this out for me. Please keep sharing this message! People who “break the code” on their own have no idea how frustrating it is to those of us who don’t.

Sold a Story is a podcast from APM Reports. Emily Hanford and Christopher Peak investigate influential authors who have promoted a debunked method for teaching children to read. Learn more.