The Knowledge Matters Podcast

Ebony McKiver, a curriculum expert and former high-school social studies teacher, emphasizes the crucial need for improved elementary history education. She highlights that many ninth-graders struggle with historical concepts due to a lack of foundational knowledge. McKiver champions storytelling as an engaging method that connects students to their community. She advocates for collaboration between social studies and English Language Arts to enhance literacy, citing successful state initiatives that support integrated curricula. Hopeful for the future, she sees districts adopting high-quality materials.

In this engaging discussion, Angela Barfoot, a second-grade teacher, and Lauren Cascio, a fifth-grade teacher, share their transformative experiences using the Bayou Bridges curriculum in Louisiana classrooms. They highlight how rich, content-driven social studies enhances student engagement and inquiry. Both teachers recount thrilling moments, like students eagerly anticipating field trips to historical sites. They also discuss how integrating ELA with history boosts student reading skills and sparks a passion for learning about the past.

Teaching history involves balance: too many facts and it’s boring, too few and students don’t have enough information to make sense of what they’ve learned. In this episode, host Barbara Davidson speaks with Sean Dimond, a former middle-school teacher and Louisiana state social studies director who is now senior social studies editor at the Core Knowledge Foundation.Dimond notes that in elementary school, history is often “a random collection of holidays,” with topics presented out of sequence and scant connection from one to the next. That’s not what’s happening in Louisiana, where students and teachers are joyfully engaged in a high-quality, knowledge-building history curriculum. Dimond recalls his early struggles as a social studies teacher following vast and vague state standards. “In sixth grade, we were basically expected to cover all—and I’m not really exaggerating here—of human history,” he recalls. The standards started with the Stone Age and extended through the late Renaissance, following a “broken sequence with no narrative,” he says.That’s no longer the case: Louisiana created, adopted, and is implementing the high-quality Bayou Bridges curriculum. Now, “the material moves generally chronologically and sort of spirals, so students return again to similar topics at a deeper and deeper level,” he says. Dimond shares the example of an exciting lesson from a Civil War unit that combines expository, vocabulary-building text with a variety of primary sources, includes excerpts of presidential speeches, and culminates in a classwide debate about Lincoln’s heroism.Such curriculum and instruction build literacy and historical thinking skills, but “content is king,” Dimond asserts. “My ability to make an excellent claim about the Antebellum South is pretty predicated on my specific knowledge about the Antebellum South.”This podcast is produced by the Knowledge Matters Campaign and StandardsWork, on behalf of the History Matters Campaign. Follow the History Matters Campaign on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter/X. Search #historymatters to join the conversation.Production by Tressa Versteeg. Original music and sound engineering by Aidan Shea.

Join Robert Pondiscio, author and former fifth-grade teacher, as he passionately advocates for revitalizing history education in elementary schools. He shares how his early fascination with history was stifled by educational policies that prioritize tested subjects over knowledge. Pondiscio argues that understanding history is vital for reading comprehension and civic engagement. With a call for a collective shift towards a knowledge-building curriculum, he highlights the importance of historical context in fostering informed citizens. Tune in for compelling insights!

Serena White, former chief academic officer for Monroe City Schools, discusses how effective writing instruction can enhance critical thinking skills. She shares her district's experience merging a content-rich curriculum with The Writing Revolution framework, which led to significant improvements in student writing and comprehension. White highlights the challenges students faced in expository writing and the transformative effects of structured support, particularly for those with learning disabilities. The conversation makes a compelling case for integrating writing across subjects to foster deeper understanding.

Writing is a powerful tool for enhancing learning and memory retention. It’s not just about the end product; the process itself boosts cognitive skills. Engaging students through writing prompts can lead to significant recall improvements, as research shows. The podcast dives into retrieval practice and its role in solidifying knowledge. It also addresses cognitive load, especially for younger learners, and offers strategies for breaking down complex tasks. Overall, writing fosters a deeper understanding and retention of information.

Doug Lemov passionately argues for the importance of reading whole books in schools, emphasizing how they engage students in a way that short excerpts cannot. The decline in reading habits among teenagers is alarming, as educators discuss the detrimental effects of focusing on snippets instead of complete narratives. Cognitive psychologist Daniel Willingham highlights storytelling's role in enhancing comprehension and memory. Moreover, shared reading experiences build empathy and community, especially for diverse classrooms, making literature a powerful tool for learning.

David Paige, a Professor of literacy education at Northern Illinois University, dives into the intricacies of reading fluency and comprehension. He discusses how automatic word recognition and sustained attention are crucial for deep understanding. The conversation tackles the challenges of digital distractions and advocates for traditional literacy practices. Paige emphasizes the importance of reading hard-copy books to enhance fluency, suggesting that reintroducing focused reading time can drastically improve students' engagement and memory retention.

Zach Groshell, a dedicated teacher from Tacoma and author of "Just Tell Them," teams up with Patrice Bain, a seasoned Illinois educator and author of "Powerful Teaching." They dive into cognitive science principles transforming student learning. They discuss retrieval practice, using tools like flashcards for memory retention. Bain highlights 'power tools' for enhancing understanding, while Groshell emphasizes the importance of mixing current and past content in assessments. Together, they illuminate strategies that truly engage students in their learning journey.

In this enlightening discussion, John Sweller, an esteemed Australian psychologist and pioneer of cognitive load theory, shares invaluable insights into how the brain learns. He explains the limitations of working memory and the critical role background knowledge plays in enhancing learning capacity. Sweller emphasizes the necessity of explicit instruction and how building a knowledge base can alleviate cognitive burdens. The conversation also touches on the parallels between academic learning and physical training, illustrating how deliberate practice fosters expertise.