" These first graders who had proudly shared with anyone who would listen that they were reading Harry Potter are at risk of becoming fourth graders who must be incentivized in order to read anything at all."
I don't know any kids like this. Does anyone else? A child who read HP or similar in first grade and then became a nonreader in 4th?
What really aggravated me (well, among other things) was her theory that kids who learn to read later become better readers than those who independently learn to read early. There is no evidence for this. Her private school background is probably completely deluding her here, in the sense that sure, there are indeed bright kids (what's the average IQ at her school--115, 120?) who read late and then catch up very well. But much of the time, the child who is struggling with reading in second grade is a child who is going to continue to struggle. Early problems with reading predict future problems for most of the population, and early success with reading, especially untaught, predicts future success. It's not a big mystery. This is established. As a literacy specialist or whatever, she really ought to know this.
