How a Podcast Toppled the Reading Instruction Canon:

Forty-five states and the District of Columbia have passed laws pertaining to teaching children how to read according to the science of reading since 2019—and about 15, according to Hanford’s count, are directly in response to her reporting. In 2022, Lucy Calkins, creator of the Units of Study reading curriculum investigated in “Sold a Story” and used by nearly a quarter of all U.S. elementary schools, revised her curricula to include more phonics. Meanwhile, sales at Heinemann, one of the biggest publishers of reading curricula, including Fountas & Pinnell, declined 75 percent in 2023, according to APM Reports, as schools have opted to invest in more evidence-aligned approaches.

I am only on episode 4 right now, but I have already talked to several co-workers who are familiar with the podcast. I had no idea that this has already had the impact that it has. So happy to see Heinemann losing money.