“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.”
Reviews and reader response
A memoir that has parents and educators rethinking reading instruction
Educators, reviewers, and parents respond to Dr. Irene Daria's account of discovering her son was not being taught to read, and to the phonics workbooks that grew from that experience.
Featured Review
“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.”
I DIDN'T BELIEVE HIM
What the book is about
Today, Irene Daria is a cognitive developmental psychologist and sought-after reading tutor whose students have included the children of Kate Winslet, Cate Blanchett, Tom Brady, and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. But at the start of this unforgettable story, she was not yet an expert. She was "just" a mother - thrilled that her five-year-old son, Eric, had been accepted to one of Manhattan's most prestigious public schools and certain he was on his way to an exceptional education.
Then Eric told her something she could not believe: he was not being taught how to read.
Like millions of parents, Daria trusted her child's school. Like millions of children, Eric struggled, while the adults around him looked for explanations in the wrong place. An entire year passed before Daria realized her son had been right all along. The problem was not Eric. The problem was the way he was being taught.
In I Didn't Believe Him, Daria takes readers inside a top-rated school and behind the reassuring language of modern education to expose a heartbreaking truth: many children are not failing to learn to read because they lack ability. They are failing because schools are using flawed methods that leave them confused, ashamed, and falling behind.
What begins as one mother's fight for her child becomes a gripping, eye-opening journey into the history, politics, and deeply personal consequences of reading instruction in America. With warmth, suspense, and the fierce love of a mother determined to save her son's future, Daria reveals how a child's struggle to read can affect an entire family - and how much work parents have been doing behind the scenes to teach their children to read.
Although the subject is urgent and disturbing, this memoir is a joy to read. It is tender, funny, enraging, and ultimately empowering. Readers will come away understanding what goes wrong for many children in school and knowing how to help them.
By the final page, you will understand how children actually learn to read - and you will feel empowered to help any child become a confident, proficient reader.
I Didn't Believe Him
What reviewers are saying about the book
A collection of critic, educator, NetGalley, Goodreads, and Amazon responses to Dr. Daria's story.
Review 1 of 10
Steps to Reading
Reviews of Steps to Reading.
Parents describe what changed when systematic phonics instruction became clear, simple, and usable at home.
Parent-tested, child-friendly phonics
“I am a third-grade teacher and every year some of my students are far behind the others in their phonics knowledge. Figuring out what to teach them and what materials to use has always been a struggle for me. This year, I bought the entire set of Steps to Reading and couldn’t believe how quickly the books brought my struggling readers up to speed. I was not trained in the science of reading in my teachers’ college but because every page has clear instructions on what to do, I was able to teach them with no problem. And because the books are so easy to use, I was able to send the workbooks home for homework so that my struggling readers could receive reinforcement at home as well. They are struggling no more!”
“How wonderful that the skills Irene so clearly and beautifully taught my children are now available in these books for parents to use at home.”
“It was such a pleasure to meet you last week. Last night, we pulled out one of the little phonics books you gave us and, well, my son was a superstar. He looked at me and said, 'Mom! I can read!' He was so excited and I was so proud. THANK YOU for already making a difference! How great that your workbooks will let other families follow the guidance you gave us!”
“It's astonishing how much my 4-year-old wants to do this book and how quickly he is learning to read. He was really excited when we started. Now, he is so proud of all the words he can read and is constantly asking me to do the book with him. I never knew teaching a child to read would be so easy.”
“My 5-year-old twins love these books. I was fortunate to receive them as gifts. I gave my kids each a copy when I was cooking dinner and they were excited to do the work/exercises and it kept them both engaged and happy. They continue to be hooked, and so am I. Other workbooks are very convoluted and not easy for the kids, or me, to understand. Often, my kids can't tell what a picture is saying, or they don't get what they are being asked to do. This book is the total opposite. The instructions and pictures are very clear. My kids-and I-get what's being asked of us and they are able to work their way through the books without any frustration or confusion. We needed these books!”
Ready to teach your child to read?
Get the Steps to Reading workbooks and start your child on the path to confident reading today.
Get the Workbooks