Natalie Wexler
Author of Beyond the Science of Reading and The Knowledge Gap, co-author of The Writing Revolution. Free Substack newsletter, Minding the Gap (https://nataliewexler.substack.com/).
- It can be hard for teachers to translate cognitive science into classroom practice on their own. A new book from Doug Lemov & team can help them boost reading comprehension for older students--& introduce them to the joy of reading. More in my new post: nataliewexler.substack.com/p/a-new-book...
- Texas may adopt a required statewide reading list--& tests aligned to it. There would be benefits to that approach. But there are also some big risks. More in my new post: nataliewexler.substack.com/p/is-texas-g...
- Tying reading tests to specific content can shift teacher practice to a focus on enabling kids to understand the content--not just practice skills. Louisiana tried a new kind of reading test & that's what happened. Read more in my latest post: nataliewexler.substack.com/p/is-testing...
- Using AI is cognitive outsourcing--not, as many term it, cognitive offloading. Offloading: we do the thinking ourselves and need a place to store it (e.g., notes). Outsourcing: someone (or something) else does the thinking for us. That can be a problem. nataliewexler.substack.com/p/is-relying...
- Research can be misleading--especially if it looks too good to be true. Even when an initiative is grounded in evidence, before we spend massive amounts of money on it, we need to ask if that money could be better spent elsewhere. More in my new post: nataliewexler.substack.com/p/if-researc...
- Explicit teaching & retrieval practice are key--but not enough to ensure deep learning. Students with some knowledge of a topic can deepen it by making connections and engaging in analysis--as long as we modulate cognitive load. More in my new post: nataliewexler.substack.com/p/dont-forge...
- Everyone else is doing it, so ... I reviewed the posts on Minding the Gap this year and identified the ten that got the most views. Some were perhaps predictable, while others were surprises: nataliewexler.substack.com/p/the-top-10...
- Even in districts using knowledge-building curricula, most comprehension instruction focuses on literacy standards. That results in only "surface-level" comprehension, according to a new SRI study. More in my latest post: nataliewexler.substack.com/p/using-know...
- Why it's important for kids to read whole books--plus why what happened in Mississippi isn't a "miracle" but evidence that science-aligned teaching can lead to dramatic improvements. So can having kids read whole books. My latest post on Minding the Gap: nataliewexler.substack.com/p/reading-wh...
- Does it really matter if students read only brief texts & excerpts, and no whole books? In a new piece in American Educator, I argue that it does--a LOT. And I offer ideas that can enable kids to get the valuable experience of, e.g., reading novels as a whole class. www.aft.org/ae/winter202...
- Why has England been more successful than the US in aligning education with cognitive science? Maybe because England uses a different kind of test for accountability. Read more in my latest post, on a new book by former schools minister Nick Gibb. nataliewexler.substack.com/p/could-it-h...
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- Students do need to get feedback on their writing. But it may only work if it's connected to things they've been taught how to do. More in my latest post on Minding the Gap: open.substack.com/pub/nataliew...
- ChatGPT has its uses, but if students rely on it to do their thinking FOR them, they risk missing out on learning & critical thinking. We already have evidence of that from cognitive psychology. Now there's more from neuroscience. More in my latest post: nataliewexler.substack.com/p/how-genera...
- English majors can't understand Dickens on their own, a study finds. Professors need to provide students with more support. It would help if students read more novels, including at least one by Dickens, in high school. More in my latest post: nataliewexler.substack.com/p/struggles-...
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- Kudos to the NY Times for giving some attention to the shift to knowledge-building in elementary schools that is sweeping the country. Next (I hope): the deeper dive this significant & complex issue deserves. More in my latest post: nataliewexler.substack.com/p/knowledge-...
- Glad the @nytimes.com is taking notice of @knowledgematrs.bsky.social & the rise of the knowledge-building movement. Would love to see more in-depth coverage too. There's a lot more to be said on this topic! Has America Given Up on Children’s Learning? www.nytimes.com/2025/05/10/u...
- The court system isn't always the best place to resolve education issues. Two pending Supreme Court cases--one on LGBTQ-themed books in elementary school & the other on religious charter schools--show why. More in my latest post on Minding the Gap: nataliewexler.substack.com/p/some-educa...
- Funding cuts have led to cancellations of some national tests of student achievement. I've been a critic of some of those tests--but eliminating them won't solve the underlying problem. It may just make it worse. Test Scores, Budget Cuts and Equity open.substack.com/pub/nataliew...
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- Researchers are concerned that wealthier students "benefit" more from ChatGPT. But if they get the bot to do their work, are they really benefiting? Or are they losing out on learning? More in my latest post on Minding the Gap: nataliewexler.substack.com/p/do-student...
- Join me for a free webinar next week on using writing instruction to boost reading comprehension--and learning in general. Sponsored by The Writing Revolution. For more info and to register, click here: bit.ly/3G6n9P5
- Do teachers spend too little time on reading comprehension instruction, as a recent report says--or too much? The answer may be "both." It depends on where you look--& how you define "comprehension instruction." More in my new post on Minding the Gap: nataliewexler.substack.com/p/what-do-we...
- Kids often find history boring. But a new curriculum based on the Four Question Method, shows how to make the subject engaging AND take it to a deeper level. More in my latest post on Minding the Gap: open.substack.com/pub/nataliew...
- Reposted by Natalie Wexler🎧 Bonus Episode! The #KnowledgeMatters Podcast presents Writing: An Unsung Hero of Reading Comprehension—featuring @natwexler.bsky.social, Doug Lemov & more! Listen now: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...
- What makes a school "good"? Test scores could indicate quality--or just a lot of test prep. A school in the UK has great test scores AND great quality. The secret? They base instruction in principles of cognitive science. More in my latest post: nataliewexler.substack.com/p/what-makes...
- Reposted by Natalie WexlerThe evidence is clear: prioritizing so-called “general skills” over knowledge-building has failed our kids for decades. Read @natwexler.bsky.social’s take: substack.com/@nataliewexl...
- Reposted by Natalie WexlerAppreciate @natwexler.bsky.social for the shoutout in her new book on our support of #edprep programs to embed #cogsci! At DFI, we work directly w programs AND drive policy change at scale. The path to system change is long, but we’re making it happen. www.the74million.org/article/cont...
- Just out: Part 2 of my post explaining why there IS enough evidence to justify a switch to knowledge-building curricula. If we wait for definitive experimental evidence, we'll be waiting a long time--and many kids will continue to suffer academically. open.substack.com/pub/nataliew...
- Has there really never been a study showing that knowledge-building boosts reading comprehension? That's what some claim. I beg to differ--strongly. More in my latest post (first of a two-parter). open.substack.com/pub/nataliew...
- News flash: I'm participating in a free webinar about my new book, Beyond the Science of Reading, on 2/17 at 7 p.m. Eastern--hosted by Marnie Ginsberg of Reading Simplified. Register here: my.demio.com/ref/JTOfuP7h...
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- It was a pleasure and an honor to appear on the Critically Speaking podcast, hosted by Dr. Therese Markow. We had a great conversation!
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- Delighted to have been interviewed by Dr. Therese Markow for her podcast, Critically Speaking. She got interested in The Knowledge Gap after noticing undergraduates were coming into her courses with poorer vocabulary. Listen here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/n...
- The NAEP reading test doesn't give us much useful information--and can actually mislead us about why so many students are not proficient readers. Is there a way to change that? I have thoughts. nataliewexler.substack.com/p/how-to-imp...
- Pleased to announce that I'll be presenting a keynote and breakout session at the Summit for Transformative Learning in Atlanta on March 10 and 11. Check out the full line-up of speakers at stlinatl.com.
- Just out: I wrote a post for ASCD that covers some of the key points in my new book (although of course there's lots more in the book!). ascd.org/blogs/redefi...
- NAEP scores have everyone talking about the "science of reading," typically defined as "phonics." But it's a test of COMPREHENSION. Phonics is important. But maybe there are problems with comprehension instruction?? More in my latest post: nataliewexler.substack.com/p/what-nobod...
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- Reposted by Natalie Wexler“Reading comprehension isn’t just a skill—it depends on knowledge. Without background knowledge, students struggle to understand what they read.” @natwexler.bsky.social explains why building knowledge is key to literacy success. #SOR #KnowledgeMatters 🔗 open.substack.com/pub/nataliew...
- I got to meet my new book today! Very exciting.
- News flash: I have another book coming out! To find out why I wrote it, and to get a preview of what's in it, check out the latest post on my free Substack, Minding the Gap: open.substack.com/pub/nataliew...
- Delighted to have appeared, once again, on Science of Reading: The Podcast to discuss my new book, Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning. Listen here: amplify.com/episode/scie...
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- Teachers tend to trust other teachers when looking to improve classroom practice. An innovative fellowship program helps them by spotlighting the practices of effective literacy teachers. More in my latest post on Minding the Gap: nataliewexler.substack.com/p/a-teacher-...
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- Lots of important insights about knowledge building literacy curricula and the next frontier—social studies—in this post from @brdavidson.bsky.social !
- 🔥 New Blog Alert! 🔥 @brdavidson.bsky.social dives into the importance of social studies curriculum and explores what ELA adoption can teach us about implementation. Don’t miss her takeaways: knowledgematterscampaign.org/post/can-soc... #HistoryMatters #KnowledgeMatters💙
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- How do you motivate students (or anyone else)? Enable them to experience success. How do you do that? Rely on principles of cognitive science to teach as clearly as possible. More in my latest post on Minding the Gap: open.substack.com/pub/nataliew...
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- Everybody seems to be doing it (listing their top 10 posts of 2024, that is)--so why not me? Except I'm listing 11, because it's my Substack & I get to make the rules! Also, a new feature on this post: I did a voiceover. nataliewexler.substack.com/p/the-top-11...
- Out today: a new episode of the Melissa and Lori Love Literacy podcast in which I talk about my new book, Beyond the Science of Reading, & the connections between the science of reading & the science of learning. It was a great conversation! literacypodcast.com/podcast?podc...
- Curious about what's in my new book, Beyond the Science of Reading, coming out on Jan. 21? Join me on Jan. 15 for a free webinar sponsored by Clever Noodle. Register at docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
- Honored to have my new book, Beyond the Science of Reading, endorsed by some giants in the field of cognitive science--including John Sweller, father of cognitive load theory. (Also blushing!) The book comes out 1/21 & is available for preorder now through ASCD (ascd.org/books/beyond...) or Amazon.
- Click below for a preview of my interview with @hollykorbey.bsky.social about my forthcoming book, "Beyond the Science of Reading"--& consider subscribing to her newsletter, The Bell Ringer! Introducing The Science of Learning Resource Guide open.substack.com/pub/hollykor...
- This Friday, 12/20, get a sneak preview of my new book on the Melissa and Lori Love Literacy podcast! We had a great chat about the connections between the science of reading & the science of learning. Publication date is 1/21 & it's available for preorder now, thru ASCD or Amazon.
