Sold a Story

APM Reports

Sold a Story is an investigative podcast about how kids learn — what works in the classroom, the science behind those insights and why that research often doesn’t make it into schools. Season 1 revealed why so many kids are struggling to learn how to read, and it sparked a wave of change across the country. In Season 2, we go beyond reading to look at teaching itself.

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26 episodes
Avg 33 min
English

Episodes 26

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S2 · E5
Thursday · 24 min
S2 E5: Why It Works
Direct Instruction has decades of research behind it, but what makes it work? We dig into Zig Engelmann’s theory of instruction, what cognitive science reveals about how children learn and what hundreds of studies show about the program’s effectiveness. Read: The evidence for Direct Instruction Read: Transcript of this episode Support: Donate to APM Reports Email us: soldastory@apmreports.org Call us: (612) 888-7323 More: soldastory.org Dive deeper into Sold a Story with a weekly email newsletter from host Emily Hanford.
S2 · E4
October 29 · 27 min
S2 E4: What Can You Do for My Black Children?
In a poor, Black neighborhood in Houston, Principal Thaddeus Lott transforms a struggling elementary school with Direct Instruction. Soon, his students are outperforming students at much wealthier schools. The results are so remarkable, some people think it’s too good to be true. Video: The secret to Wesley Elementary’s success Read: Teachers who use Direct Instruction tend to like it Read: Transcript of this episode Support: Donate to APM Reports Email us: soldastory@apmreports.org Call us: (612) 888-7323 More: soldastory.org Dive deeper into Sold a Story with a weekly email newsletter from host Emily Hanford.
S2 · E3
October 22 · 31 min
S2 E3: The Forgotten Experiment
Zig Engelmann gets the chance of a lifetime: Put Direct Instruction to the test in one of the largest education experiments ever conducted. The results could have changed the direction of American education. Instead, they’re contested — and ultimately cast aside. Read: Why America’s massive educational experiment didn’t transform schools Read: The forgotten voices of Project Follow Through Video: The biggest education experiment you’ve never heard of Read: Transcript of this episode Support: Donate to APM Reports Email us: soldastory@apmreports.org Call us: (612) 888-7323 More: soldastory.org Dive deeper into Sold a Story with a weekly email newsletter from host Emily Hanford.
S2 · E2
October 15 · 27 min
S2 E2: The Remedy Is Always Teaching
At an experimental preschool in Illinois, Zig Engelmann and his colleagues begin turning his ideas into a classroom teaching method. Along the way, they make a series of discoveries about effective instruction. Their mantra: “If the student hasn’t learned, the teacher hasn’t taught.” Read: What is Direct Instruction? Video: The 5 key concepts of DI Video: Who was Zig Engelmann? Read: Transcript of this episode Support: Donate to APM Reports Email us: soldastory@apmreports.org Call us: (612) 888-7323 More: soldastory.org Dive deeper into Sold a Story with a weekly email newsletter from host Emily Hanford.
S2 · E1
October 15 · 20 min
S2 E1: It’s Not Just Reading
In the 1960s, an education outsider named Zig Engelmann begins challenging conventional ideas about what young children can learn. He teaches his 4-year-old twins basic algebra. But he has a hard time getting anyone in education to take him seriously, until a professor gives him a chance to see if his ideas will work in a classroom. Read: What is Direct Instruction? Video: The 5 key concepts of DI Video: Who was Zig Engelmann? Read: Transcript of this episode Support: Donate to APM Reports Email us: soldastory@apmreports.org Call us: (612) 888-7323 More: soldastory.org Dive deeper into Sold a Story with a weekly email newsletter from host Emily Hanford.
October 1 · 3 min
Sold a Story 2: What Happened to Teaching
Sold a Story is back with a new season that goes beyond reading. Emily Hanford explores an approach to teaching that's been largely rejected by the education system — despite decades of evidence that it works. Video: Watch the trailer on YouTube More: soldastory.org Dive deeper into Sold a Story with a multi-part Extra Credit email series from Emily Hanford.
April 28 · 1 hr
‘Dyslexia and the Reading Wars’: Emily Hanford's Conversation with The New Yorker’s David Owen
The New Yorker staff writer David Owen opened a recent piece with a personal story: To hide that she couldn’t read, his niece turned pages when her classmates did. Owen joined Sold a Story host Emily Hanford for a live conversation about his December 2025 article “Dyslexia and the Reading Wars.” The event was part of the Eyes on Reading series at Planet Word, a museum in Washington, D.C., dedicated to words and language. Read: Transcript of this episode Watch: All Eyes on Reading videos Connect: Sold a Story discussion guides Support: Donate to APM Reports Email us: soldastory@apmreports.org  Call us: (612) 888-7323 More: soldastory.org Dive deeper into Sold a Story with a multi-part email series from host Emily Hanford. We’ll also keep you up to date on new episodes. Sign up at soldastory.org/extracredit.
Dec 9, 2025 · 57 min
Emily Hanford LIVE with Reid Lyon and Margaret Goldberg
Early in her teaching career, Margaret Goldberg was skeptical of the science of reading. Today, she is working with neuroscientist Reid Lyon to bring it into more classrooms. Lyon and Goldberg joined Sold a Story host Emily Hanford for a live conversation about the challenges of translating research into practice. The event was part of the Eyes on Reading series at Planet Word, a museum in Washington, D.C., dedicated to words and language. Read: Transcript of this episode See: Slideshow from the event (cute pictures!) Watch: All Eyes on Reading videos Connect: Sold a Story discussion guides Support: Donate to APM Reports Email us: soldastory@apmreports.org  Call us: (612) 888-7323 More: soldastory.org Dive deeper into Sold a Story with a multi-part email series from host Emily Hanford. We’ll also keep you up to date on new episodes. Sign up at soldastory.org/extracredit.
S1 · E14
Aug 21, 2025 · 37 min
14: The Cuts
Education research is at a turning point in the United States. The Trump administration is slashing government funding for science and dismantling the Department of Education. We look at what the cuts mean for the science of reading — and the effort to get that science into schools. Read: Trump cancels survey of high schoolers Read: Nation’s Report Card at risk Read: Lawsuit saves massive reading experiment Read: Transcript of this episode Carolyn Riehl: Medical research and education research Watch: The story behind Sold a Story Organize: Sold a Story discussion guides Support: Donate to APM Reports Email us: soldastory@apmreports.org  Call us: (612) 888-7323 More: soldastory.org Dive deeper into Sold a Story with a multi-part email series from host Emily Hanford. We’ll also keep you up to date on new episodes. Sign up at soldastory.org/extracredit.
S1 · E13
Mar 6, 2025 · 33 min
13: The List
Steubenville became a model of reading success. Then a new law in Ohio put it all at risk. In this episode, we look at the "science of reading" lists some states are making, why the program Steubenville has been using for 25 years isn't getting on many of these lists, and the surprising power of one curriculum review group. Read: Christopher Peak on EdReports Read: Transcript of this episode Watch: The story behind Sold a Story Organize: Sold a Story discussion guides Support: Donate to APM Reports Email us: soldastory@apmreports.org  Call us: (612) 888-7323 More: soldastory.org Dive deeper into Sold a Story with a multi-part email series from host Emily Hanford. We’ll also keep you up to date on new episodes. Sign up at soldastory.org/extracredit.
S1 · E12
Feb 27, 2025 · 30 min
12: The Evidence
There’s a name for the program at the heart of Steubenville’s remarkable reading results. It’s called Success for All. It’s been around for decades, and numerous studies have shown it’s effective. But relatively few school districts use it. We trace the history of the program and why it’s never really caught on. Read: Why don’t more schools use Success for All? Read: Transcript of this episode Watch: The story behind Sold a Story Organize: Sold a Story discussion guides Support: Donate to APM Reports Email us: soldastory@apmreports.org  More: soldastory.org  Dive deeper into Sold a Story with a multi-part email series from host Emily Hanford. We’ll also keep you up to date on new episodes. Sign up at soldastory.org/extracredit.
S1 · E11
Feb 20, 2025 · 31 min
11: The Outlier
There’s a school district in eastern Ohio where virtually all the students become good readers by the time they finish third grade. Many of the wealthiest places in the country can’t even say that. And Steubenville is a Rust Belt town where the state considers almost all the students “economically disadvantaged.” How did they do it? Explore: Steubenville, by the numbers Read: Transcript of this episode Book: Districts that Succeed Book: How It's Being Done Podcast: ExtraOrdinary Districts Watch: The story behind Sold a Story Organize: Sold a Story discussion guides Support: Donate to APM Reports Email us: soldastory@apmreports.org  More: soldastory.org Dive deeper into Sold a Story with a multi-part email series from host Emily Hanford. We’ll also keep you up to date on new episodes. Sign up at soldastory.org/extracredit.
Nov 1, 2024 · 3 min
The Podcast That's Changing Education
Nationally acclaimed journalist Emily Hanford's work is changing the ways schools around the country teach reading. In this award-winning podcast, she investigates why so many schools use an approach that cognitive scientists debunked decades ago. Apple Podcasts has recognized Sold a Story as a Series Essential. To celebrate, we’re making it available without ads or other announcements for a limited time. Watch: The story behind Sold a Story Support: Donate to APM Reports More: soldastory.org Dive deeper into Sold a Story with a multi-part email series from host Emily Hanford. We’ll also keep you up to date on new episodes. Sign up at soldastory.org/extracredit.
S1 · E10
Apr 11, 2024 · 31 min
10: The Details
Some of the teachers, students, parents and researchers we met in Sold a Story talk about the impact the podcast has had on their lives and in schools — and share some of their hopes and concerns about the “science of reading” movement. Portraits: Zoe and Lee Gaul, Christine Cronin, Reid Lyon Read: Transcript of this episode Video: Mark Seidenberg at Yale Article: Seidenberg on translating the science Article: Reid Lyon’s most important findings Watch: The story behind Sold a Story Organize: Sold a Story discussion guides Donate: Support APM Reports Email us: soldastory@apmreports.org More: soldastory.org Dive deeper into Sold a Story with a multi-part email series from host Emily Hanford. We’ll also keep you up to date on new episodes. Sign up at soldastory.org/extracredit.
S1 · E9
Apr 4, 2024 · 27 min
9: The Aftermath
Schools around the country are changing the way they teach reading. And that is having major consequences for people who sold the flawed idea we investigated in Sold a Story. But Lucy Calkins, Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell are fighting back — and fighting to stay relevant. And so are organizations that promoted their work: the Reading Recovery Council of North America and the publisher Heinemann. Read: Two universities stick with a discredited idea Read: Reading Recovery financial difficulties Read: Science movement trouble for Heinemann Read: Transcript of this episode Watch: The story behind Sold a Story Organize: Sold a Story discussion guides Support: Donate to APM Reports More: soldastory.org Dive deeper into Sold a Story with a multi-part email series from host Emily Hanford. We’ll also keep you up to date on new episodes. Sign up at soldastory.org/extracredit.
Mar 19, 2024 · 6 min
Introducing: Sold a Story en Español
A Spanish adaptation of Sold a Story is now available. Hosted by journalist Valeria Fernández, the podcast is condensed into one 58-minute episode, plus a conversation between Fernández and Emily Hanford for Spanish-speaking parents whose children are learning to read English in American schools. - Listen or share: Sold a Story en español - Learn more: soldastory.es
S1 · E8
May 18, 2023 · 24 min
8: The Impact
Across the country, school districts are dropping textbooks, state legislatures are going so far as to ban teaching methods, and everyone, it seems, is talking about "the science of reading." Things have been changing since Sold a Story was released. In this episode, we tell you about some of the changes and what we think about them. Read: New reading laws sweep the nation Read: Transcript of this episode Watch: The story behind Sold a Story Organize: Sold a Story discussion guides Support: Donate to APM Reports More: soldastory.org EXTENDED READING Blog: Seidenberg on translating research into practice Article: Goldenberg, Goldberg on premortem (paywall) | Excerpt Dive deeper into Sold a Story with a multi-part email series from host Emily Hanford. We’ll also keep you up to date on new episodes. Sign up at soldastory.org/extracredit.
S1 · E7
May 11, 2023 · 25 min
7: Your Words
Voicemails, emails, tweets: We got a lot of messages from people after they heard Sold a Story. In this episode, we bring you some of their voices. A 10-year-old figures out why he has struggled to read. A mom stays up late to binge the podcast. A teacher confirms what he's suspected for years — he's not really teaching kids how to read. Read: Messages from our listeners Read: Transcript of this episode Watch: The story behind Sold a Story Organize: Sold a Story discussion guides Support: Donate to APM Reports Call us: ‪(612) 888-7323 More: soldastory.org Donate to support Sold a Story and other journalism from APM Reports. Dive deeper into Sold a Story with a multi-part email series from host Emily Hanford. We’ll also keep you up to date on new episodes. Sign up at soldastory.org/extracredit.
Apr 11, 2023 · 37 min
Brains On: How Do We Learn to Read — and Why is It Hard?
This week we have an episode of a show called Brains On. It’s a science podcast for kids from our colleagues at APM. In this episode, Emily joins the Brains On hosts to talk about how people learn to read. Grab the kids in your life and listen to this special episode made for kids and curious adults. More: brainson.org Support our show: Donate to APM Reports Dive deeper into Sold a Story with a multi-part email series from host Emily Hanford. We’ll also keep you up to date on new episodes. Sign up at soldastory.org/extracredit.
Apr 6, 2023 · 53 min
What the Words Say
There are kids like C.J. all over the country. Schools tell their parents they are reading at grade level, but the kids are not. And whether they ever get the help they need can depend a lot on their family income and their race. In this documentary, originally published in August 2020, host Emily Hanford shows that America’s approach to reading instruction is having an especially devastating impact on children of color. Read more: Children of color are far less likely to get the help they need Support this show: Donate to APM Reports Dive deeper into Sold a Story with a multi-part email series from host Emily Hanford. We’ll also keep you up to date on new episodes. Sign up at soldastory.org/extracredit.

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