My Child Can’t Read: A Heartland Crisis

S1E3 /// Misunderstood: What Struggling Readers Are Trying to Tell Us

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:
Cooper, Evie, Emmi, Hadlie, and Austin —  students reflecting on what it feels/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
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
 
“I wasn’t lazy. I was misunderstood. Something has to change.” – Emmie Johnston
 
Call to Action
Subscribe so you never miss an episode
Rate & Review on your favorite podcast platform to help others find the show
Share this episode with a parent, teacher, policy maker, or professor preparing future educators
Tell us your story at: funlearn.org/subscribe
Explore screening tools and resources at: funlearn.org
 
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
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

S1E2 /// 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.
In This Episode You’ll Hear:
Jeanine Phillips’s story of discovering her own dyslexia and advocating for her son
Cooper Phillips reflecting on shame, a diagnosis of profound dyslexia, and the moment everything changed
Dr. Brian Stone’s perspective on identifying dyslexia and guiding a family toward healing
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
“Balanced literacy didn’t prepare me to teach reading. I had the title, but not the training.”
– Jeanine Phillips
Call to Action
Subscribe so you never miss an episode
Rate & Review on your favorite podcast platform to help others find the show
Share this episode with a parent, teacher, or professor preparing future educators
Tell us your story at: funlearn.org/subscribe
Explore screening tools and resources at: funlearn.org
Resources & Further Reading
Phillips Fundamental Learning Center — Wichita, KS
LETRS Structured Literacy Training
Sold a Story podcast — Emily Hanford & APM Reports
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
 
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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

S1E1 /// 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 all 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 This Episode You’ll Hear
Jesica Glover’s personal story of struggle — as a mom and an educator
Kansas Educator, Jill Hodge, reflecting on feeling unprepared despite a degree
Sarah Collins discovering her child’s experience wasn’t unique
Teen Emmi Johnston describing what it’s like to feel “stupid” — until someone finally teaches you to read
Austin Collins, age 10, student with dyslexia
Dr. Reid Lyon explaining why reading isn’t natural — and why the science still hasn’t reached most classrooms
 
“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.”
 
Call to Action
Subscribe so you never miss an episode
Rate & Review on your favorite podcast platform to help others find the show
Share this episode with a parent, teacher, or professor preparing future educators
Tell us your story at: funlearn.org/subscribe
Explore screening tools and resources at: funlearn.org
 
Resources & Further Reading
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 — 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

Trailer Episode

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.
 
Too many kids are struggling to read — and too many parents and teachers are left without answers. But the fact is Reading failure is not inevitable. It’s a problem with a solution. But we need to act.
 
Hosted by Jesica Glover — a National Board Certified teacher and parent whose own child couldn’t 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.
 
Call to Action
Subscribe so you never miss an episode
Rate & Review on your favorite podcast platform to help others find the show
Share this episode with a parent, teacher, policy maker, or professor preparing future educators
Tell us your story at: funlearn.org/subscribe
Explore screening tools and resources at:
 
 
PODCAST MUSIC - SOUNDSTRIPE.COM
Shimmer - What We Call Home
This podcast is produced by KB PODCASTS