Knowledge for Teachers S03E19 - Natalie Wexler on the Knowledge Gap and What Lies Beyond the Science of Reading
In this episode of Knowledge for Teachers, host Brendan Lee speaks with Natalie Wexler, education writer and author of The Knowledge Gap, The Writing Revolution, and Beyond the Science of Reading. Together they explore what truly drives reading comprehension and why knowledge rich instruction is essential for every learner. Natalie unpacks the surprising limits of treating comprehension as a set of isolated skills, explains how background knowledge shapes understanding in powerful ways, and shows why writing can be one of the most effective tools for securing learning. Listeners will also hear how cognitive load theory connects to literacy and what strong knowledge building lessons look like in real classrooms. A practical and thought provoking conversation for teachers and leaders who want to strengthen literacy through the lens of research.
Resources mentioned:
- The Knowledge Gap by Natalie Wexler
- The Writing Revolution by Judith Hochman and Natalie Wexler
- Beyond the Science of Reading by Natalie Wexler
- Why Don’t Students Like School by Daniel Willingham
You can connect with Natalie:
Twitter/X: @natwexler
Substack: http://nataliewexler.substack.com
You can connect with Brendan:
Twitter/X: @learnwithmrlee
Facebook: @learningwithmrlee
Linkedin: @brendan-lee-kft
Website: learnwithlee.net
Support the Knowledge for Teachers Podcast:
https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast
The Primary Maths Instruction Framework For teachers
This is a three day online course for teachers where we focus on how learning happens and how to design maths lessons that support acquisition, build fluency and help students generalise what they know.
Register here
Implementing Effective Primary Maths Instruction For School LeadersThis is a two day online course for school and middle leaders and it is all about implementation. We look closely at curriculum and lesson design, assessment, coaching and the systems that help teachers change practice in a sustainable way.
Register here