My Child Can’t Read: A Heartland Crisis cover art

My Child Can’t Read: A Heartland Crisis

My Child Can’t Read: A Heartland Crisis

By: Phillips Fundamental Learning Center
Listen for free

About this listen

In classrooms across America — and especially here in Kansas — too many children are being left behind in reading. And too often, their parents and teachers are left wondering: What did I miss? Why didn’t anyone tell me?

Hosted by Jesica Glover — a National Board Certified teacher, reading specialist, and parent who couldn’t help her own daughter learn to read — this podcast explores the literacy crisis in Kansas and across the country. Through real stories and expert insight, we uncover how reading is actually learned, where schools are falling short, and what families and educators can do to change it. Each episode combines real stories, expert insight, and a look at the science of how reading works —

From early warning signs and misdiagnoses to bold reforms and grassroots change, My Child Can’t Read traces a powerful journey from heartbreak to hope.

Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or policymaker, this podcast helps you understand what went wrong — and what we can do to make it right, right here in the Heartland.

Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
Episodes
  • S1E3 /// Misunderstood: What Struggling Readers Are Trying to Tell Us

    S1E3 /// Misunderstood: What Struggling Readers Are Trying to Tell Us
    Aug 26 2025
    What if the child getting in trouble at school wasn’t defiant, but desperate? In this moving episode, we hear directly from struggling readers and their families about what school really felt like when the system failed to see them. Kids labeled as lazy, inattentive, or “the problem” describe the shame, isolation, and heartbreak that came from not being able to read — and the turning points when someone finally listened. We also hear from parents, educators, and psychologists who reveal how often the signs of dyslexia and other learning differences are missed — and what misunderstanding really costs children. In This Episode You’ll Hear
    • Evie, Austin, Emmie, Hadlie, and Cooper — students reflecting on what it felt like to be called “stupid,” “lazy,” or ignored in class
    • Parents Stacie Swanson, Sarah Collins, and Lindsey Angleton — sharing the early signs they saw and the pushback they faced
    • Dr. Janelle Tidemann — psychologist explaining the overlooked red flags and why bright, creative kids often slip through the cracks
    • Jeanine Phillips, Jill Hodge, and Sarah Balzar — Kansas educators describing how training changed everything they thought they knew
    • The national scope of reading struggles, the Reading Wars, and why balanced literacy wasn’t enough
    Resources & Further Reading
    • Phillips Fundamental Learning Center (Wichita, KS)
    • LETRS Structured Literacy Training
    • Children of the Code video series: What’s at Stake
    • Sold a Story podcast — Emily Hanford & APM Reports
    • Reading in the Brain by Stanislas Dehaene (Viking, 2009)
    • Teaching Reading Is Rocket Science by Dr. Louisa Moats (AFT, 2020) — Read PDF
    • Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University — Jack Shonkoff’s work
    • National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Reading Scores, 2024 Visit NAEP – Nation’s Report Card
    “I wasn’t lazy. I was misunderstood. Something has to change.” – Emmie Johnston Key Takeaways
    • Struggling readers often say they feel “stupid” or “invisible” long before they’re diagnosed
    • Early signs — speech delays, difficulty rhyming, not recognizing letters — are often brushed off as “they’ll grow out of it”
    • Dyslexia is real, common, and too often misdiagnosed as behavior problems, ADHD, or defiance
    • Balanced literacy left teachers unprepared to meet the needs of all learners
    • Early intervention and structured literacy change not just academic outcomes, but emotional lives
    • Reading failure is not just an academic issue — it’s a biological and emotional stressor
    Call to Action
    • Subscribe so you never miss an episode
    • Rate & Review to help others find the show
    • Share this episode with: – A parent who feels alone – A teacher or school leader – A policymaker or professor preparing future educators
    • Share your story at: funlearn.org/subscribe
    • Explore resources and screening tools at: funlearn.org

    🎵 Music: SOUNDSTRIPE.COM Shimmer – What We Call Home, Cody Martin – Innovation, Reville – Curiosity, LNDO – Daydreaming, Shimmer – Craft

    This podcast is produced by KB PODCASTS
    Show More Show Less
    42 mins
  • S1E2 /// Balanced Isn’t Enough — She Had the Title But Not the Training

    S1E2 /// Balanced Isn’t Enough — She Had the Title But Not the Training
    Aug 17 2025
    Episode 2: Balanced Isn’t Enough — She Had the Title But Not the Training What If I Told You It Was Never Your Fault? Many teachers care deeply — so why do so many children still struggle to read? In this eye-opening episode, we explore the myth of balanced literacy, the widespread training gaps in teacher preparation, and the emotional toll on students and families. We follow the powerful journey of Jeanine Phillips — a Kansas teacher and mom who discovered her own dyslexia in college and then fought to understand why her son, Cooper, couldn’t read. Their story reveals how broken systems leave educators unprepared, students misdiagnosed, and families desperate for answers — until someone finally teaches the code. Featured Voices:
    • Jeanine Phillips, Founder of Phillips Fundamental Learning Center, former teacher, and mom — shares her journey from undiagnosed dyslexic student to mother advocating for her son
    • Cooper Phillips, adult reflecting on early shame, a diagnosis of profound dyslexia, and the moment everything changed
    • Dr. Brian Stone, psychologist who helped identify Cooper’s dyslexia and guided the family toward healing
    💬 Share Your Story: If this episode resonated with you, we want to hear from you. Submit your story at: funlearn.org/subscribe 📢 Call to Action: If you’re a teacher who feels unprepared, a parent who feels unheard, or a student who feels invisible — you’re not alone. And it’s not your fault. ✅ Subscribe so you never miss an episode ✅ Rate & Review to help others find the show ✅ Share this episode with someone who needs to hear it: – A fellow parent – A teacher or school leader – A professor preparing future educators 🌐 Explore resources and screening tools at: funlearn.org Resources & Credits: This episode was created with gratitude for the tools, research, and organizations working to change literacy outcomes in Kansas and beyond:
    • Phillips Fundamental Learning Center (Wichita, KS)
    • LETRS Structured Literacy Training
    • Sold a Story podcast by Emily Hanford
    • Children of the Code video series
    • Teaching Reading Is Rocket Science by Dr. Louisa Moats (AFT, 2020) – Read PDF
    • Reading in the Brain by Stanislas Dehaene (Viking, 2009)
    • 📎 Myths About Dyslexia – PDF Resource
    🔑 Key Takeaways:
    • Balanced literacy didn’t prepare teachers to teach reading — and many never learned how the brain actually learns to read
    • Dyslexia is real, common, and often misunderstood — in both students and adults
    • Early intervention, structured literacy, and the right support can change the trajectory of a child’s life
    • Families and teachers are doing their best within broken systems — and change starts with knowledge and action
    • You’re not alone, and you’re not to blame — but together, we can do better
    🎵 Music & Production: PODCAST MUSIC - SOUNDSTRIPE.COM Shimmer - What We Call Home, Cody Martin - Innovation, Reville - Curiosity, LNDO - Daydreaming , Shimmer - Craft This podcast is produced by KB PODCASTS
    Show More Show Less
    44 mins
  • S1E1 /// The Sound to Letter Code We Never Learned — And It’s Not Your Fault

    S1E1 /// The Sound to Letter Code We Never Learned — And It’s Not Your Fault
    Aug 12 2025
    Episode 1: The Sound to Letter Code We Never Learned — (And It’s Not Your Fault) What if everything you believed about how kids learn to read… was wrong? In this Season 1 premiere, host Jesica Glover — a mom, former reading specialist, and once-struggling reader herself — shares her family’s journey through confusion, frustration, and discovery. This episode uncovers how our education system lost sight of how reading really works… and why so many parents and teachers were left in the dark. You’ll hear from brain scientists, psychologists, educators, students, and parents asking the same painful question: Why can’t my child read — and why didn’t anyone prepare us to help them? This isn’t just a story about what went wrong. It’s the beginning of a reckoning — and a roadmap toward what’s possible. In Episode #1: • Jesica’s personal story of struggle — as a mom and an educator • A Kansas teacher reflects on feeling unprepared despite a degree • A parent discovers her child’s experience wasn’t unique • A teen describes what it’s like to believe you're stupid — until someone finally teaches you to read • Dr. Reid Lyon explains why reading isn’t natural — and why the science still hasn’t reached most classrooms. Featured Voices:
    • Jill Hodge, Kansas educator
    • Austin, age 10, student with dyslexia
    • Dr. G. Reid Lyon, Neuroscientist & Literacy Researcher
    • Emmie Johnston, former struggling reader
    • Sarah Collins, Parent & PFLC team member
    Call to Action: If you’re a teacher who feels unprepared, a parent who feels unheard, or a student who feels invisible — you’re not alone. And it’s not your fault. Reading failure is not inevitable. It’s a problem with a solution. But we need to act. There is a code — and when taught, kids learn.
    • Subscribe so you never miss an episode
    • Rate & Review on your favorite podcast platform to help others find the show
    • Share this episode with someone who needs to hear it: – A fellow parent – A teacher or school leader – A professor preparing future educators
    • Tell us your story at: funlearn.org/subscribe
    • Explore resources and screening tools at: funlearn.org
    Resources & Credits:

    • Alphabetic Phonics Curriculum (Multisensory Teaching Approach)

    • Children of the Code video series: What’s at Stake

    • Dr. Reid Lyon, Keynote, Summit for Literacy, 2024

    • LETRS Structured Literacy Training

    • Phillips Fundamental Learning Center (Wichita, KS)

    • Reading in the Brain by Stanislas Dehaene (Viking, 2009)

    • Sold a Story Podcast by Emily Hanford & APM Reports

    • Teaching Reading Is Rocket Science by Louisa Moats, AFT (2020)

    • G. Reid Lyon, “Why Reading Is Not a Natural Process,” via Reading Rockets

    -------

    PODCAST MUSIC - SOUNDSTRIPE.COM

    Shimmer - What We Call Home, Cody Martin - Innovation, Reville - Curiosity, LNDO - Daydreaming , Shimmer - Craft

    This podcast is produced by KB PODCASTS
    Show More Show Less
    25 mins
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.