The Knowledge Gap

The Hidden Cause of America's Broken Education System--and How to Fix it

By: Natalie Wexler

Narrated by: Natalie Wexler

“Essential reading for teachers, education administrators, and policymakers alike.” —STARRED Library Journal

The untold story of the root cause of America's education crisis

It was only after years within the education reform movement that Natalie Wexler stumbled across a hidden explanation for our country's frustrating lack of progress when it comes to providing every child with a quality education. The problem wasn't one of the usual scapegoats: lazy teachers, shoddy facilities, lack of accountability. It was something no one was talking about: the elementary school curriculum's intense focus on decontextualized reading comprehension "skills" at the expense of actual knowledge. In the tradition of Dale Russakoff's The Prize and Dana Goldstein's The Teacher Wars, Wexler brings together history, research, and compelling characters to pull back the curtain on this fundamental flaw in our education system--one that fellow reformers, journalists, and policymakers have long overlooked, and of which the general public, including many parents, remains unaware.

But The Knowledge Gap isn't just a story of what schools have gotten so wrong--it also follows innovative educators who are in the process of shedding their deeply ingrained habits, and describes the rewards that have come along: students who are not only excited to learn but are also acquiring the knowledge and vocabulary that will enable them to succeed. If we truly want to fix our education system and unlock the potential of our neediest children, we have no choice but to pay attention.

I enjoyed the history of current education.

This is a book full of information. I will need to listen again to gleen all of it.

Educator approved

As an educator, this is what we have been saying for years. I’m fairly new in the field, but this is so validating to know people are working on a change and finally seeing it in schools. 2024, Minnesota.

Knowledge is so powerful

This book has really helped me gain a much better understanding on the importance of knowledge  and the impacts it has on a child’s ability to comprehend what he/she reads .

A walk down reading lane.

This book did a great job of showing how reading instruction has changed over the years. It incorporated data on how the instructed affected students. It also incorporated eye witness accounts of reading being taught across several schools and grades. It ended with the core knowledge approach and gave data on how it increased scores. The book gave positive and negatives related to the various reading instructional practices. It took two days to listen to which I would recommend.

Eye-opening information

This book has sparked my passion for teaching to a new level after 30 years in the classroom!