Textbook adoption committees seem to be in every district right now. States are passing legislation.  Publishing companies are "coming to the rescue." And teachers are being told to follow programs with fidelity.

But what happens when the program itself is overloaded, inconsistent, or simply not aligned with how children actually learn to read?

In this episode, I’m diving into one of my biggest frustrations in literacy education: the idea that good teaching means reading directly from a script. We’ll talk about why textbooks should be treated as tools rather than sacred documents and why teacher expertise still matters more than any boxed curriculum.

✨ In this episode, we discuss:

At the end of the day, programs can provide structure, but they cannot replace thoughtful, knowledgeable teachers who know their students best.

If this episode resonates with you, share it with a teacher, coach, administrator, or district leader who needs the reminder that professional judgment still matters.

Links Mentioned:

Blog post on Building Background Knowledge

My new book on teaching vocabulary!*

*As an Amazon affiliate, I may earn a small commission on any products purchased through my link, at no additional cost to you!