Sold a Story

Yeah.

What would you say, like, what would you suggest for teachers who, like me, like, felt really duped after Soul to Story came out and just realizing, like, everything, like, now, like, all of a sudden now I want all the research.

Like, before I was, like, just happy to be just given stuff, like, okay, I trust you and I'm going to do it.

And then be like, wait a minute.

So in that article in 2020, they found that there are about 38 states that are using, still using an IQ achievement discrepancy.

And that's kind of funny 'cause, you know, it was, I've been trying to chat with Christopher Peak from Sold a Story too, and he was like, "I didn't know that people were still using that." [laughs] I was like, "Oh, yeah, for sure.

There are lots of people still using it." And then, uh, the PSW frameworks, the different, uh, guidance documents and, um, policies that are from the different states, that's where they got this first set of data.

And those sets of data say that m- probably about 34 states are describing a PSW framework.

I got, um, I was very honored and, and shocked honestly.

I, just on a limb, I just went out and contacted the IES and said, you know, "I just want to know article, you know, w- uh, research that is supported by the IES independent research." And not only the, the commissioner of IES hook me up, you know, s- for read my email, but he gave, he, he connected me with one of the program managers, and she kind of, um, met with me for a few Zoom calls, and eventually, um, she encouraged me to get grants and to do this, but I, I wasn't ready [laughs] for that yet.

But she did, um, do that, that blog about me and, and, and this work because the commissioner was so, um, he saw what happened with Sold a Story and how, like, they had tried so long with IES to disseminate the information, but then when Sold a Story came it was like it, it caused, you know, a big, um, a, a big change in a lot of just, a lot of states and their, and their policies.

And so he just really recognized how important it was to do the dissemination work and tri- they tried to support me as much as, like, they could without, [laughs] you know, grant money of course.

It was so, so interesting and just so dumbfounding.

How could people think that a whole literacy or a balanced literacy approach works? And why was it in our schooling systems, I mean, not only Australia, but across the world, for so long? Then I listened to a fantastic podcast, Sold a Story, by host Emily Hanford.

This podcast was made by APM Reports and rel- released in 2022.

It's a US investigative series.

I know our listeners are going to be so inspired by your story and your expertise.

For anyone who's new to your world, can you tell us about how you became such a fierce advocate for students with dyslexia? And make sure to drop in that Soul to Story experience so we know how you ended up on that podcast as well.

So, you know, at one point I was a former teacher.

I live in my community.