7: Let's Get Political

A Novel Idea: The History of the Science of Reading

Jul 13 2023 • 41 mins

Following the explosion of the Reading Wars in California, a push for nationwide literacy legislation swept the nation. In this episode of A Novel Idea we explore the consequences of this movement, including the influence of legislative efforts including The National Reading Panel and Reading First. Featuring thoughts from:

  • Dr. G. Reid Lyon, former director, NICHD
  • Natalie Wexler (Twitter: @natwexler), author, The Knowledge Gap
  • Dr. Timothy Shanahan (Twitter: @ReadingShanahan), distinguished professor emeritus, University of Illinois at Chicago
  • Dr. Maryanne Wolf, author, Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain and Dyslexia, Fluency, and the Brain

Learn More
National Reading Panel
https://www.nichd.nih.gov/sites/default/files/publications/pubs/nrp/Documents/report.pdf

Episode transcript and sources
https://irrc.education.uiowa.edu/transcript-and-sources-novel-idea-episode-7

A Novel Idea website:

irrc.education.uiowa.edu/resources/novel-idea-podcast