I Didn't Believe Him
My son told me his school wasn’t teaching him to read. I told him to trust his teacher. This is the story of what happened next.
by Irene Daria, Ph.D.
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Pub Date Aug 20 2024 | Archive Date Sep 10 2024
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Description
Today, Irene Daria is a cognitive developmental psychologist and reading tutor to the stars. At the time of this story, she was a graduate student and “just” a mom thrilled that her son had been accepted to one of the most esteemed schools in Manhattan. Sure that he was on the path to a venerable education, she did not listen when her 5-year-old told her that he—like millions of other children—was not being taught how to read in school.
An entire, very painful school year passed before Eric got her to realize he was right. Follow along as Daria begins a perplexing but ultimately empowering journey to save his academic life. She finds herself pitted against well-intentioned teachers and administrators, people she would have loved to trust if only they weren’t so misinformed. The more Daria tries to get the school to see that it—like tens of thousands of other schools across the country—is teaching reading all wrong, the more the school insists there is something wrong with her child and not with its teaching.
Although I Didn't Believe Him is about a disturbing topic, it is a joy to read. Its pages overflow with the tenderness and love a mother has for her child and the trust a child has that his mother will make everything right. In addition to sharing her personal story, Daria takes you behind closed doors at a top-rated school to witness how flawed teaching methods are causing millions of kids to struggle with reading. You will see how a child's struggles in school affect the entire family. In an entertaining who-dun-it way, you will learn about the horrifying history of reading instruction in our country and the absurd way reading is currently being taught in many schools.
In the end, simply by going on this life-altering journey with Daria and her son, you will learn how to teach a child to read and be empowered to set any child on the path to becoming a proficient reader.
A Note From the Publisher
A shocking look at how schools caused millions to be struggling readers + why every parent should know how to teach a child to read.
Advance Praise
“Irene is truly remarkable at teaching children how to read. I feel so fortunate that I discovered her for my children.” –actress Kate Winslet
“A memoir that raises serious questions about why certain flawed teaching methods have remained in US schools for so long. The most powerful thing the author does … is to bring to light how teachers and administrators sometimes gaslight parents (and by extension, children) into believing that it is the child’s perceived deficiencies, and not the problematic teaching methods of the school, that are responsible for their failure to learn to read.” –Kirkus Reviews
“Eve is flourishing at Stuyvesant and I wanted to tell you how grateful I am for all that you did for us. Not only did Eve get into Stuyvesant because of her weekly lessons with your tutors, but the lessons taught her study habits that are contributing to her success now at Stuyvesant. She is maintaining a high A average in all her classes.” –Jen Wening
“I wanted to let you know how much we appreciate your support and insight into helping our son. His teacher says he writes easily and at length without prodding. His vocabulary is through the roof and his reading comprehension is also very strong. This nearly brought me to tears! Such a long way he has come.” –parent at Hunter Elementary School
For Steps for Reading:
5.0 out of 5 stars – A must-have program for teaching your child to read (Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2024, Verified Purchase)
"This book has been instrumental in teaching my daughter to read. As a parent, it can be hard to know where to even begin in teaching reading. The book takes a lot of parental stress out of the equation and you just follow the workbook page by page. We typically do a page per week, then will speed up some as we get closer to kindergarten.
This workbook gave clear, age-appropriate instructions for each beginning stage of reading. My daughter found the activities doable and fun. We are using this in conjunction with occasional Starfall app/video play to teach our 4-year-old to read. We have seen huge strides in her and she can now read short books."
5.0 out of 5 stars – Excellent starting point to learn reading (Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2023, Verified Purchase)
"I recommend this excellent book to parents helping their children in their very first effort to learn to read. The method teaches phonics; on top of being considered the more correct method to truly ‘read’ and not only ‘recognize’ words, it very naturally allows the child to break down the work into small units around specific groups of letters. Key sight-words are also presented. The workbook includes games and drawings that my kids like to color. This book has definitely kick-started and structured the work together toward fluent reading."
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Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9780986432958 |
| PRICE | |
| PAGES | 311 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Kyra D, Reviewer
Ebook received for free through NetGalley
I’m so glad I came across this book. My kids are late elementary-aged and can now read well but I remember Bob books with my first and am so glad my friend gifted the first set to us. I can see this book being amazing to read when you have a preschooler or even younger not for the stress of “what you need to do” but more so you have the knowledge of the signs and how to help if needed before your child enters school and it gets harder. The author also has some workbooks and videos listed on her website if you need additional help now: https://www.stepstoreading.com/
Marinna M, Reviewer
Five Stars! I am SO happy I read this book. I really believe this book is essential for parents. I listened to the podcast 'Sold A Story' and found myself obsessed with reading more and more about how children learn to read and what is going on in US public schools. This book is a first hand account of one NYC mom who went above and beyond for her children.
Irene Daria tells us the story of her young son, Eric, and how, despite her efforts to get him into the best school around, he cannot read. Eric knows this, but his teachers and parents do not. He is coming home with books and 'reading' them. How is this possible? Lucy Calkins and the trove of mislead 'experts' that have pedled this nonsense curriculum! Daria lifts the lid on what 'balanced literacy' really looks like. I truly loved this book and am so appreciate of Daria sharing her story. I was not privy to the influence of Bloomberg and other NYC politicians when it comes to curriculum. Even with the best teachers, if the curriculum is wrong, there's not much to do beyond paying tutors or pulling your kids entirely.
Our hard earned taxes should not be paying for schools that cannot teach children the basics of reading. Our children should not be subjected to 24/7 learning outside of 7+ school hours. The more I read and hear stories like this, the more horrified I am of the current state of education. This is a huge reason why I have decided to homeschool my children. I cannot put faith in the school system and our government to teach my children. Instead of hoping for the best and becoming an activist in my free time, I would much rather spend quality time with my children enjoying them.
I commend Daria for her efforts in being so involved in her children's schooling. She also talks about issues with her older son's constructivist math curriculum. Her recollection of helping her older son reminded me of trying to help my younger brother with math and being unable. The 14 year age gap meant that his schooling looked completely different than mine - and frankly made no sense to me due to the asinine adoption of these curriculums and methods that parents have never learned and cannot assist with.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about schooling and how to advocate for your children. This was exactly what I wanted to read after seeking out follow-ups to 'Sold A Story.' There is also really interesting information related to how reading was taught in the early 1900s and even how Dick and Jane created generations of illiterate adults. It's absolutely mind-boggling to see how much influence these curriculums have had on our ability to be a literate nation. Daria also mentions books that were helpful in helping Eric to learn different phonics techniques, so this book has a wide-ranging wealth of knowledge in it!
Thank you to NetGalley, Steps Publishing, and the author Irene Daria for an ARC of this wonderful book.
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