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    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.

    ▼ FOLLOW THE SHOW ▼
    SEASON 2 EPISODES
    EPISODE 1
    It's Not Just Reading
    In the 1960s, an education outsider named Siegfried "Zig" Engelmann began challenging conventional thinking about how to teach young children. He went on to create a highly effective and deeply controversial program called Direct Instruction. Engelmann's ideas remain divisive today, but his story has a lot to teach us about solving problems in education.
    TRANSCRIPT | DOWNLOAD
    EPISODE 2
    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."
    TRANSCRIPT | DOWNLOAD
    Live Events
    Sold a Story host Emily Hanford is curating the Eyes on Reading speaker series at Planet Word in Washington, D.C.
    Email Notifications
    Dive deeper into Sold a Story with this multi-part Extra Credit email series from host Emily Hanford. We'll also keep you up to date on new episodes.

    LATEST NEWS
    OCTOBER 15, 2026
    What is Direct Instruction?
    OCTOBER 16, 2025
    New reading laws sweep the nation following Sold a Story
    AUGUST 21, 2025
    Nation's Report Card at risk, researchers say
    AUGUST 21, 2025
    Lawsuit saves massive reading experiment
    AUGUST 21, 2025
    A window into America’s high schools slams shut
    JULY 24, 2025
    Success for All gets kids reading. Why don't more schools use it?
    MAY 23, 2025
    Judge scuttles lawsuit over Massachusetts reading curriculum
    MARCH 6, 2025
    When schools buy new reading programs, they look to EdReports. But some of its reviews don't line up with science
    FEBRUARY 20, 2025
    Most school districts have lots of kids who struggle with reading. This one is different
    VIDEOS
    Who was Direct Instruction creator Zig Engelmann?
    4 new myths about teaching kids to read
    Trump cuts to the Department of Education
    How EdReports got the science of reading wrong
    The Outlier: Steubenville
    ▼ FOLLOW ON SOCIAL ▼
    RESOURCES
    Want to know more about the science of reading?
    Sold a Story: Discussion Guide
    DOCUMENTARY ARCHIVE
    AUGUST 6, 2020
    What the Words Say
    A false assumption about what it takes to be a skilled reader has created deep inequalities among U.S. children, putting many on a difficult path in life.
    AUGUST 22, 2019
    At a Loss for Words: What's Wrong with How Schools Teach Reading
    For decades, schools have taught children the strategies of struggling readers, using a theory about reading that cognitive scientists have repeatedly debunked. And many teachers and parents don't know there's anything wrong with it.
    SEPTEMBER 10, 2018
    Hard Words: Why Aren't Our Kids Being Taught to Read?
    Scientific research has shown how children learn to read and how they should be taught. But many educators don't know the science and, in some cases, actively resist it. As a result, millions of kids are being set up to fail.
    SEPTEMBER 11, 2017
    Hard to Read: How American Schools Fail Kids with Dyslexia
    There are proven ways to help people with dyslexia learn to read, and a federal law that's supposed to ensure schools provide kids with help. But across the country, public schools are denying children proper treatment and often failing to identify them with dyslexia in the first place.
    Support
    Sold a Story is an independent investigative journalism project from American Public Media. We rely on your donations to support this kind of rigorous reporting.
    Sold a Story en español
    Esta adaptación al español del exitoso pódcast, conducido por la periodista de investigación Valeria Fernández, recoge información adicional para los padres hispanohablantes que tienen hijos aprendiendo a leer en inglés en las escuelas estadounidenses.
    REPORTING TEAM
    Emily Hanford
    Host
    Emily Haavik
    Reporter
    Christopher Peak
    Reporter
    Kate Martin
    Reporter
    Olivia Chilkoti
    Producer
    Carmela Guaglianone
    Producer
    Curtis Gilbert
    Editor
    Sasha Aslanian
    Editor
    ► FULL CREDITS

    Leadership support for Sold a Story comes from Hollyhock Foundation and Oak Foundation.

    Our funders include Ibis Group, LLC, Esther A. & Joseph Klingenstein Fund, Kenneth Rainin Foundation, Stephen and Wendy Gaal, and Achelis & Bodman Foundation.

    Founding support for Sold a Story and APM Reports was also provided by Lumina Foundation, Tides Foundation and Spencer Foundation.

    The APM Reports team is grateful for the ongoing support of members of Minnesota Public Radio | American Public Media and other individual donors. To contribute, please visit: apmreports.org/donate.