The Fordham brief doesn't cover everything, but it's a good starting point for those interested in the evidence for skills-focused reading comprehension--or rather, the lack thereof.
My take is here:

nataliewexler.substack.com/p/a-call-for-a…

⁦Natalie Wexler⁩ sheds light on the critical role knowledge plays in the pathway to supporting older students who struggle to read!

#KnowledgeMatters 💙 forbes.com/sites/nataliew…

Students are coming to college less able and less willing to read. Professors are stymied.

Have you read this yet? It's behind a paywall, but worth finding a way to get a copy. chronicle.com/article/is-thi…

Delighted to have been interviewed by Matt Taibbi and Emily Bivens for Racket News on fundamental causes of inequity in our education system.

Read the Q&A here:

racket.news/p/substack-q-a…

Substack Q&A: Natalie Wexler of 'Minding The Gap'

Should we teach more knowledge and less process? Why has knowledge become a bad word? Racket catches up with K-12 expert Natalie Wexler, author of 'The Knowledge Gap'

racket.news/p/substack-q-a…

Maybe phonics + knowledge aren't enough to equip all students to read text with multisyllabic words.

In my Forbes post, I write about new developments that could help many students who have been left to flounder for too long. Readable Advanced Education Research & Development Fund

forbes.com/sites/nataliew…

“When students lack reading experiences at home, they experience a word gap- the massive differences in heard vocabulary between disadvantaged and advantage children in their first 5 years of life. This research posits that incoming kindergarten students from literacy-rich homes

Dive into Episode 8️⃣ of the #AllForLiteracy #podcast ! Tune in as Dr. Liz Crawford Brooke talks with Natalie Wexler to understand how to narrow the knowledge gap, increase student #literacy skills, and set up the classroom for equitable education.

Don't miss out! 🎧

Research shows that a “PK student’s vocab size is a powerful predictor of …academic success & that background knowledge is a powerful factor in reading comprehension.” PK curric should intentionally build that vocab/knowledge!

Dive into Episode 8️⃣ of the #AllForLiteracy #podcast ! Tune in as Dr. Liz Crawford Brooke talks with Natalie Wexler to understand how to narrow the knowledge gap, increase student #literacy skills, and set up the classroom for equitable education.

Don't miss out! 🎧 spr.ly/6019jlOOB

Are you registered yet for the 2024 PaTTAN Literacy Symposium? Don’t miss the Language Comprehension Strand featuring Natalie Wexler, Deb Glaser, and Nancy Hennessy! Learn more at bit.ly/2024litsymposi… or register now: pattan.net/Events/Confere… #literacymatters #PaTTANLitSymposium

Students are getting AI to summarize complex texts.

Publishers are using AI to generate 'workbooks' based on books that are selling well (including mine).

Summaries have their uses, but routinely relying on AI to do it is risky.

More in my latest post:

nataliewexler.substack.com/p/ai-generated…

This article warns that AI-generated text summaries and simplified versions risk undermining critical reading skills and nuanced understanding. It calls for caution in relying on these AI products as substitutes for engaging with full texts. Natalie Wexler open.substack.com/pub/nataliewex…

Yet more data on the decline in kids reading for fun (in addition to last year's NAEP finding that only 14% of 13-yr-olds did so on a daily basis).

A curriculum that relies on whole books & extended content-rich texts can help, especially thru engaging read-alouds by teachers.

We all agree phonics is a must, and Natalie Wexler explains why #knowledgematters is also critical for literacy in this recent Q&A with ⁦EdSource⁩! edsource.org/2024/why-knowl…

“It’s not like you have to choose between building knowledge and teaching skills and strategies. It’s a question of what you put in the foreground.” ⁦Natalie Wexler⁩

#KnowledgeMatters 💙 edsource.org/2024/why-knowl…

Why knowledge matters for #literacy : Q&A with Natalie Wexler. We can’t truly reach #equity in achievement unless we first close “The Knowledge Gap.”  edsource.org/?page_id=710488 via @edsource #sschat #K12 #edchat California Council for the Social Studies SCSSA National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)

#Phonics is a must but young readers need context, too; author Natalie Wexler explains how background knowledge is key to comprehension; must read Q&A w/ Karen D'Souza #SoR #CoreKnowledge California Teachers Association Decoding Dyslexia CA #CAEdChat #CAed edsource.org/2024/why-knowl…

The Science of Reading movement is on some of the strongest footing we've seen in the history of education reform. But there be dragons ahead.

School Board Members:

Learn about the threats to improving student literacy you're likely to encounter in your district.

Natalie Wexler

Science of reading expert Natalie Wexler explains why teaching kids background knowledge, from science to history, is vital if you want them to become deep readers. #caedu #literacy
edsource.org/2024/why-knowl…