In this podcast episode, literacy expert Jennifer Burns discusses effective reading instruction, emphasizing four foundational skills: seeing, hearing, thinking, and believing like a reader. She critiques over-reliance on curriculum and advocates for personalized teaching strategies that adapt to each child’s unique needs, promoting success and engagement in reading.
Teaching students to read unlocks every other subject. We want our children to love reading (and writing) but this show is focused on teaching reading. And wow, teaching reading is big business these days. So many people want to “fix” their reading problems with a curriculum; however, reading and literacy expert Jennifer Burns says that is not possible.
In today’s show, Jennifer shares her four foundational “reader builds” that help students see, hear, think and believe like readers. She gives teachers (and parents) a clear, practical way to support every unique learner in the classroom. I loved how she shared information about eye tracking. She also shares an example about how she helped a struggling special needs students turn from helpless to a hopeful participant in reading. I think hearing how someone models the conversations with a child can be so helpful!
I hope you enjoy this show with Jennifer based on “Building Readers from the Playground to Print: Unlock the Magic of Joyful Reading Instruction” published in April 2024.
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Jennifer Burns – Episode 920 – YouTube
4 Essential Ways to Teach Reading
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Takeaways
1. Effective reading instruction starts with the Fundamental Four.
To teach reading well, Jennifer emphasizes four essential skills: seeing like a reader, hearing like a reader, thinking like a reader, and believing you are a reader. These foundations guide teachers in identifying exactly where each child needs support.
2. Eye training must be taught, not assumed.
Young learners often scan text incorrectly. To teach reading effectively, teachers must model left-to-right tracking, letter shape recognition, and visual attention strategies that help students decode accurately.
3. Short lessons prevent fatigue and improve focus.
Many schools increase reading minutes without recognizing that young children fatigue quickly. To teach reading successfully, shorter, purposeful lessons build stronger retention and reduce frustration.
4. A reader’s mindset influences reading success.
Students who don’t see themselves as readers often disengage. Jennifer shows how teachers can build confidence through quick wins, affirming language, and modeling what thinking like a reader sounds like.
5. Text variety strengthens comprehension and transfer.
To teach reading beyond basic decoding, children must experience poems, riddles, recipes, stories, and decodables. Different text types develop flexible thinking and real-world reading skills.
6. High-performing schools focus on each child’s “literacy life.”
Instead of relying solely on curriculum, strong schools observe reading behaviors throughout the day. To truly teach reading, instruction must adapt to real student needs — not just program pacing.
7. Curriculum is a tool, not the teacher.
Jennifer warns that overreliance on curriculum limits personalization. Effective teachers use materials strategically while keeping the focus on individual learners and their reading growth.
Jennifer Burns – Bio as Submitted
Jennifer Burns is a literacy consultant, author, speaker and coach who uses a student-centered approach in all of her work. This approach creates collaborative conversations that make teaching, learning and growth fun. Her signature approach helps create opportunities for students to engage successfully with volumes of types of reading. Outside of teaching, Jennifer loves to walk, read, spend time with family and find fun coffee shops.
Blog: https://www.buildingareader.com/
Facebook: BuildingaReader
YouTube: @buildingareader
Podcast: Building a Reader Podcast
Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored podcast episode.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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