Why Literacy Instruction Must Be Explicit and Coherent | Dr. Jen O’Sullivan

In this episode of The Reading Symphony Podcast... Katie talks with Dr. Jen O’Sullivan, education researcher and lecturer, about what effective reading instruction looks like beyond phonics - and why strong literacy teaching needs to connect the different skills involved in learning to read. 📩 Subscribe to The Reading Symphony on Substack Get practical literacy tips, science-of-reading insights, and evidence-based strategies to help children become stronger readers. Subscribe here: 👉 https://katiemegrian.substack.com/ 👤 About Dr. Jen O’Sullivan Dr. Jen O’Sullivan is an education researcher and lecturer specializing in literacy education. A former primary school teacher, her work focuses on early reading development, early intervention for reading difficulties, teacher professional learning, and the role of children’s literature in literacy instruction. Dr. O’Sullivan’s Links: Read Write Jen: https://readwritejen.com/ Read Aloud with Intent by Dr. Jen O’Sullivan and Dr. Clara Fiorentini: https://abcschoolsupplies.ie/products... The Power of Playful Language: Read Dr. O’Sullivan’s article: https://substack.com/@jenosullivan/p-... Picture Book Vocabulary Finder: Vocabulary Finder: https://payhip.com/b/HZkx7 International Reading Achievement Results (PISA): PISA 2025 Results: https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/... Chapters 00:00 – The Science of Reading vs. the Science of Teaching Reading 00:55 – Meet Dr. Jen O’Sullivan 02:16 – From Classroom Teacher to Literacy Researcher 04:18 – Bridging the Gap Between Reading Research and Practice 05:26 – What Effective Teacher Training Looks Like 07:05 – Why Teachers Need Ongoing Professional Development 09:43 – Connecting the Pieces of Literacy Instruction 11:03 – Why Reading Skills Shouldn’t Be Taught in Isolation 12:22 – Reading Is Like an Orchestra 14:43 – Why Phonics Is Fundamental — But Not Enough 16:27 – Vocabulary and Background Knowledge Matter Too 18:21 – How Background Knowledge Supports Reading 20:03 – Why Reading Multiple Books on One Topic Helps 20:34 – Why Vocabulary Is So Important for Comprehension 22:30 – Why Dictionary Definitions Aren’t Enough 25:04 – Playful Ways to Build Vocabulary at Home 28:11 – What Jokes Teach Children About Language 29:43 – The Picture Book Vocabulary Finder 33:03 – How Picture Books Build Sophisticated Language 35:27 – Using Books to Develop Vocabulary 39:32 – How Parents Can Evaluate Reading Instruction 42:04 – What to Do If Your Child Is Struggling 42:38 – Nursery Rhymes and Building Early Literacy 43:20 – Let Your Children See You Read and Write 44:05 – Why Reading Aloud Is So Powerful 44:37 – Read Aloud with Intent 45:21 – Making Read-Alouds More Engaging 48:19 – The INTENT Framework 50:28 – Should Parents Worry About Graphic Novels? 51:10 – Reading Achievement and Reading for Pleasure 55:13 – Where to Find Dr. Jen O’Sullivan #ScienceOfReading #ReadingInstruction #Phonics #ReadingComprehension #Vocabulary #Literacy #ReadingAloud