There's an idea about how children learn to read that's held sway in schools for more than a generation — even though it was proven wrong by cognitive scientists decades ago. Teaching methods based on this idea can make it harder for children to learn how to read. In this podcast, host Emily Hanford investigates the influential authors who promote this idea and the company that sells their work.

Since Sold a Story premiered in 2022, more than half the states have passed laws designed to address problems the podcast brought to light. It has won numerous accolades, including a duPont-Columbia award and a Peabody nomination, and it was among the most shared programs on Apple Podcasts in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Season 2, coming this fall, will go beyond reading to bring listeners a new story about the science behind learning — and why that science often doesn't make it into the classroom.