Natalie Wexler

The Knowledge Gap; reading comprehension and curriculum knowledge.

Sort

Natalie Wexler5d

Do We Need Another National Reading Panel?

Or might it do more harm than good?

Natalie Wexler11d

How Alpha School Teaches Writing

Its writing app closely resembles The Writing Revolution, except for one key element: what students write about.

Natalie Wexler16d

Harnessing Social Studies Instruction to Boost Literacy

The subject is worth teaching for its own sake--but it can also improve reading scores.

Natalie Wexler26d

How to Make "Gifted" Programs More Equitable

Targeting bright but unmotivated kids from low-income families can have dramatic effects

Natalie Wexler1mo

The Alpha School Debate

The network of private schools may have harnessed the power of AI to dramatically boost test scores, but is that all there is to education?

Natalie Wexler1mo

How Schools Can Counter "The End of Reading"

A recent article in the Atlantic highlights a real problem, but it undersells the possibility of education to address it.

Natalie Wexler1mo

A (Relatively) Easy Way to Boost Reading Comprehension

Teaching students to understand complex sentence structure can be powerful, a recent study suggests.

Natalie Wexler1mo

New Texas Social Studies Standards Are Content-Specific but Divisive

States can adopt rigorous standards without sparking culture wars.

Natalie Wexler2mo

More Test-Based Accountability? It's Complicated

Accountability is necessary, but not for "reading comprehension."

Natalie Wexler2mo

A New Way To Bring Teaching in Line With Cognitive Science

Maybe we need to focus on changing classroom practice--through testing.

Natalie Wexler2mo

The Growth vs. Proficiency Debate

Is Washington, D.C., a phenomenal education success story or an abject failure? It depends on how you measure success.

Natalie Wexler3mo

How Can Teachers Find Clarity in a Sea of Confusing Data?

Educators need guidance in deciding which research to trust, and two new resources can help--up to a point.

Natalie Wexler3mo

Do Knowledge-Building Curricula Really Lack Whole Books?

Some parents and teachers complain these curricula suffer from the very flaws they were meant to address. What's going on?

Natalie Wexler3mo

What Teachers Think About the 'Science of Reading'

A survey of teachers’ beliefs and knowledge about the “science of reading” has provoked commentary. But surveys can’t tell us what’s actually going on in classrooms.

Natalie Wexler4mo

How to Make Social Studies "Magical"

A sixth-grade civics class demonstrates that memorizing facts can enable analytical thinking—and be fun.

Natalie Wexler5mo

Has Technology "Broken" an Education System That Was "Just Fine"?

We’ve gone overboard on devices in the classroom, but that doesn’t mean all will be well if we just get rid of them.

Natalie Wexler5mo

How Can You Tell If a Curriculum Truly Builds Knowledge?

It's not always easy--and a lot of districts are being misled.

Natalie Wexler5mo

Most Struggling Students Get "Incoherent" Instruction

Schools need to ensure that extra support aligns with their core curriculum--if, that is, their core curriculum makes sense.

Natalie Wexler6mo

Reading Comprehension Studies Can Mislead Us About What Works

A new meta-analysis takes on the “strategy instruction vs. knowledge-building” question. But that’s a false dichotomy.

Natalie Wexler6mo

Why Schools Aren't Equipping Students for Citizenship

A new book lays bare a pervasive lack of historical knowledge--and a new curriculum tool suggests a path forward.

Natalie Wexler6mo

A New Book Translates Research into Effective--and Joyful--Classroom Practice

If you’re a teacher looking for a practical guide to implementing the science of learning in your classroom, I have a recommendation for you.

Natalie Wexler7mo

Is Texas Getting a Mandatory Literacy Curriculum?

Texas may soon require all of its 5.5 million public school students to read the same books—and take state tests based on them.

Natalie Wexler7mo

Is Testing the Next Frontier in Ed Reform?

A short-lived experiment in Louisiana suggests the power of tying reading tests to content that students have been taught.

Natalie Wexler7mo

Is Relying on AI Cognitive “Offloading” or “Outsourcing”?

The terminology we use makes a difference.

Natalie Wexler7mo

If Research Looks Too Good to Be True, Be Cautious

I've made some mistakes, and so have others.

Natalie Wexler7mo

Don't Forget to Elaborate

Explicit instruction and retrieval practice are fundamental components of learning, but students need more than that to acquire deep knowledge.

Natalie Wexler8mo

The Top 10 Minding the Gap Posts of 2025

NAEP reading scores, a new approach to teaching history, and ... Australia?

Natalie Wexler8mo

Using Knowledge-Building Curriculum Doesn't Guarantee 'Robust' Reading Comprehension

Teachers at schools that have adopted content-rich curriculum often don’t guide kids to think deeply about the content, researchers say.

Natalie Wexler8mo

Reading Whole Books, and "Miracles" in Education

Yes, kids are reading fewer books in school--and that's a big problem.

Natalie Wexler8mo

Could It Happen Here?

England has made great strides in aligning its education system with cognitive science. Why hasn't the U.S.?

Natalie Wexler9mo

Education News from Down Under

Education in Australia seems to be ahead of the U.S. in some ways and behind in others.

Natalie Wexler10mo

The Mystery of Diane Ravitch

In a new memoir, the fiery education advocate tries to explain why she renounced almost everything she once believed.

Natalie Wexler10mo

What's Really Behind the "Southern Surge"?

Improved reading scores in states like Louisiana are due to far more than “phonics” or “accountability.”

No appearances yet. If you've seen Natalie Wexler as a guest somewhere, hit + suggest to add it.

Similar thinkers

Minds whose work overlaps with Natalie Wexler’s.

Shared niche — Education & Learning

Andrew Old

@andrew-old

Scenes From the Battleground; classroom realism and curriculum knowledge.

Open Profile

Emily Hanford

@emily-hanford

Sold a Story; investigative reporting on the science of reading.

Open Profile

Shared niche — Education & Learning

Cathy Davidson

@cathy-davidson

The New Education; designing colleges for the 21st century.

Open Profile

Dave Eggers

@dave-eggers

American author, editor, and publisher known for works like *A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius* and founder of McSweeney's, 826 National, and other literary nonprofits.

Open Profile

Shared niche — Education & Learning

Doug Lemov

@doug-lemov

Teach Like a Champion; the technique-of-teaching playbook.

Open Profile

Shared niche — Education & Learning

Reni Eniola

@reni-eniola

Reni Eniola is a TEDxMississauga speaker whose talk, “How one financial choice can reshape a bloodline,” explores ideas with relevance to creators and independent audiences.

Open Profile

Shared niche — Education & Learning

Jay Clouse

@jay-clouse

Founder, Creator Science. Runs a newsletter, podcast, YouTube channel, community, and creator education business for professional creators.

Open Profile

Shared niche — Education & Learning

Azadeh Afsahi

@azadeh-afsahi

Azadeh Afsahi is a TEDxOxford speaker whose talk, “How to Become a Smuggler of Hope,” explores ideas with relevance to creators and independent audiences.

Open Profile

Is this you? Claim this page →

Natalie Wexler

Channel content

Appearances

Similar thinkers

Channel content

Appearances

Similar thinkers