Natalie Wexler
Education writer; wrote The Knowledge Gap, arguing that American schools teach reading as a skill when it depends on knowledge.
Natalie Wexler did not write this page.
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Their wordsI initially wondered if I had been mistaken in arguing-not just in the book but in numerous articles and presentations-that writing was potentially our most powerful lever for enhancing thinking.
↗Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com 1st of 3 in this piece
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Their wordsIn fact, evidence from cognitive science establishes that learning and thinking are inextricably linked: the more we learn about a topic, the better able we are to think critically about it.
↗Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com 2nd of 3 in this piece
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Their wordsWe realized that when we taught our students to write more clearly, they became able to think more clearly.
↗Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com 3rd of 3 in this piece
- 7 days earlier
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Their wordsWe now have a substantial amount of evidence that combining science and social studies with literacy instruction can enhance students' reading comprehension, along with their content knowledge.
↗Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com 1st of 3 in this piece
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Their wordsAs I discussed in a previous post, researchers have found that lack of familiarity with complex syntax is a significantly greater barrier to reading comprehension than lack of vocabulary, especially as the grade levels go up.
↗Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com 2nd of 3 in this piece
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Their wordsELA teachers will probably always take the lead on literacy instruction, but it's far too complex-and too important-an area to be considered their exclusive province. If schools want to enable all students to become truly literate, they need to take an all-hands-on-deck approach.
↗Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com 3rd of 3 in this piece
- 5 days earlier
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Their wordsBut if that degree doesn't certify what people think it does, at some point that lack of knowledge is likely to catch up with the degree holder, leading to failure in the workplace-and possibly affecting society as a whole.
↗Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com 1st of 3 in this piece
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Their wordsCovid is only one explanation offered for declines in student achievement-and one that overlooks the fact that scores were declining, and gaps widening, before the pandemic hit.
↗Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com 2nd of 3 in this piece
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Their wordsIf we lower standards on the assumption that those kids will never be able to meet them, overlooking the evidence that-given science-informed curriculum and instruction-many of them can, we'll deprive them of the opportunity to reach their full potential, as we've done to so many in the past.
↗Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com 3rd of 3 in this piece
- 9 days earlier
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Their wordsWhen used wisely, technology, including AI, can be helpful in the classroom.
↗Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com 1st of 3 in this piece
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Their wordsIt helps to understand, as I've argued before, that some cognitive effort is essential to learning-and that subcontracting out that effort to a device will also subcontract out the learning.
↗Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com 2nd of 3 in this piece
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Their wordsBut bans of tech or AI that fail to distinguish between helpful and harmful uses can end up holding students back.
↗Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com 3rd of 3 in this piece
- 11 days earlier
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Their wordsThat may lead to higher grades in the short term, but the evidence is mounting that the long-term effects are devastating.
↗Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com 1st of 3 in this piece
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Their wordsBut neither they nor their students are getting adequate guidance on when AI is helpful and when it actually interferes with teaching and learning.
↗Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com 2nd of 3 in this piece
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Their wordsSo it's crucial that teachers acquire the understanding of cognitive science that will enable them to determine when AI is likely to interfere with learning. Unfortunately, teacher training programs rarely equip them with that understanding.
↗Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com 3rd of 3 in this piece
- 10 days earlier
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Their wordsBackground knowledge and vocabulary almost inevitably affect comprehension, especially as grade levels go up and reading passages become more complex.
↗Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com 1st of 3 in this piece
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Their wordsIn fact, without a minimum level of relevant background knowledge, no comprehension skill or strategy is likely to work.
↗Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com 2nd of 3 in this piece
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Their wordsIf we want to improve education outcomes, we need to connect reading and writing instruction to the "content areas" like history and science-and bring instruction in all those areas in line with evidence from cognitive science.
↗Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com 3rd of 3 in this piece
- 5 weeks earlier
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Their wordsThe shift away from reading started decades ago, with the advent of TV, but the internet, digital devices, and generative AI have put it on steroids.
↗Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com 1st of 2 in this piece
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Our reading
A decline in the cognitive abilities of the American electorate could threaten democracy.
Their wordsIf the cognitive abilities of the American electorate decline on a large scale, we all suffer, and it's not an exaggeration to say that the "end of reading" could mean the end of democracy as we know it.
↗Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com 2nd of 2 in this piece