In this episode of Knowledge for Teachers, I speak with Natalie Wexler, education writer and author of The Knowledge Gap, The Writing Revolution, and Beyond the Science of Reading. We explore what truly drives reading comprehension and why knowledge rich instruction is essential for every learner. Natalie unpacks the surprising limits of teaching comprehension as a set of skills, explains how background knowledge shapes understanding in powerful ways, and shows why writing can be one of the most effective tools for securing learning. Listeners will also hear how cognitive load theory connects to literacy and what strong knowledge building lessons look like in real classrooms. A practical and thought provoking conversation for teachers and leaders who want to strengthen literacy through the lens of research.
Resources mentioned:
- The Knowledge Gap by Natalie Wexler
- The Writing Revolution by Judith Hochman and Natalie Wexler
- Beyond the Science of Reading by Natalie Wexler
- Why Don’t Students Like School by Daniel Willingham
- ED Hirsch
You can connect with Natalie:
Twitter/X: @natwexler
Substack: http://nataliewexler.substack.com
You can connect with Brendan:
Twitter: @learnwithmrlee
Facebook: @learningwithmrlee
Website: learnwithlee.net
About Natalie Wexler
Natalie Wexler is an education writer who has spoken before a wide range of audiences in the U.S. and elsewhere, focusing on literacy, cognitive science, and fairness. She is the author of Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning and The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—And How to Fix It, and the co-author of The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades. She blogs at her free Substack newsletter, Minding the Gap, and is the host of Season One of the Knowledge Matters Podcast (“Reading Comprehension Revisited”) and a co-host of Season Three (“Literacy and the Science of Learning”).
Support the Knowledge for Teachers Podcast:
https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast
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