This article considers how to bridge the achievement gap by showing that reading methodology influenced American educational philosophy, primary-grade curricula, and American schools. It considers the impact of the romantic movement on progressive education and notes that the current academic achievement gap has two roots. The first can be traced, in part, to the nonacademic excesses of progressivism in the early grades; the second to patterns of social disorganization. The article argues that schools can deal with each problem by returning to a more academic curriculum and by providing a more nurturing environment for students.