ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Ep.174
The How: Building Knowledge That Makes Readers Stronger (with Daniel Willingham)
Hey, no BS besties. Decoding gets kids in the door, but it doesn't carry them through a text. Comprehension depends on what readers already know about the world, and that knowledge doesn't build itself.
In this episode, I'm joined by Daniel Willingham, cognitive psychologist at the University of Virginia and author of The Reading Mind and Why Don't Students Like School? Last time we dug into the research behind why knowledge matters so much for reading. Today is all about the how: what building knowledge actually looks like in a real classroom, with real kids and real time limits.
In this episode:
- Why strong decoders can still struggle to understand what they read
- How background knowledge shapes comprehension
- What knowledge building looks like in daily instruction
- How to connect texts and topics so learning sticks
- Where teachers can start tomorrow without overhauling everything
Go deeper: Willingham's article "Rediscovering Knowledge as the Key to Reading" in Education Next (2026): https://www.educationnext.org/rediscovering-knowledge-as-the-key-to-reading/
This episode is sponsored by Decodify. Unlock the code. Own the word. The Literacy View listeners get an exclusive 5% off. Learn more at decodifylearning.com
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Decodify is a supplemental, structured literacy toolkit that allows for reading practice in an engaging, purposeful, and educational format. It helps students unlock the code and own the word. For an exclusive 5 % discount on your decodify purchase email Judy@theliteracyview.com
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