The Knowledge Gap

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

By: Natalie Wexler

Narrated by: Natalie Wexler

The untold story of the root cause of America's education crisis - and the seemingly endless cycle of multigenerational poverty.

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.

©2019 Natalie Wexler (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Essential reading for teachers, education administrators, and policymakers alike." (Library Journal starred review)

"Education journalist Wexler mounts a compelling critique of American elementary schools.... An informative analysis of elementary education that highlights pervasive problems." (Kirkus Reviews)

"For parents, teachers, and anyone who cares about the potential of education to brighten kids' futures, reading The Knowledge Gap will be an eye-opening experience. Through vivid classroom scenes and stories of would-be reformers, Natalie Wexler exposes a crucial aspect education that is often overlooked: In most American elementary schools, teachers are not given the training and support they need to provide deep, rich content - about history, social studies, science, language and the world around them. And students, especially vulnerable ones, suffer for it.” (Peg Tyre, author of The Good School: How Smart Parents Get Their Children the Education They Deserve)

"The knowledge gap is real, and its effects are profound. This book offers an accurate, engaging, and clear description of the problem and how to solve it. It’s a must-read for educators, parents and policy makers." (Dr. Judith C. Hochman, founder of The Writing Revolution; co-author, The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades)

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.

Incredible

This is what teachers have been saying for a long time! Well written and easy to understand, even my non-educational background husband enjoyed it on our vacation car trip!

Must Read- all teachers, parents & administrators

This book is a must read for anyone who wants to be an expert or thinks they are an expert in reading instruction. This foundational knowledge will give you the background you need to make policy decisions and advocacy decisions. Our children deserve everyone to know this information.

Wow

I highly recommend this book to all educators. It put into words things that I have been thinking for many years.

Must Read For Every Educator

This is a must read if you work in the education system. If you are tired of spinning your wheels to discover how to really help your student grow you need to read this. Warning… if you have been in education for a while you will be frustrated as you read and discover how you have been misguided by some very well known people in education.

Such a great read/listen!

My son is in the first grade and this book has made me feel much better equipped to make sure his education is well-rounded.

The research that has gone into this book is impressive, but the author writes in a way that makes the facts accessible to all.

I have told so many fellow parents they need to read this book.

Thoughts on The Knowledge Gap

As a 65 year old retired educator, that employed many of the skills/strategies eschewed in this book, it’s hard to process all this. That said, I admit to developing a “taste” for SoR and found this book extremely illuminating. I realize (now) that this information had been available when I was still working, yet somehow I had never heard it...and I always tried to stay current through professional books & literature. To me, reading with students at their instructional level was “the” strategy I employed for 36 years so all of this information will take a while for me to accept (for now). The other major “reveal” to me was the influence of background knowledge on comprehension. Obviously, I knew its importance but not to the point of infusing a true SS (didn’t see much science) curriculum rather than increasing my LA time. Fascinating. Again, I’m not there (yet) but will further pursue this area of study.
One more point...thank you for putting this on audio (very few books on curriculum, especially Reading/Language Arts are on audio) as I could listen to it while walking...I wish more professional books were on audio. Thank you.