Jennifer Throndsen

Dr. Jennifer Throndsen is an educator, literacy leader, and author of Raising Up Readers: Twenty-Five Scaffolding Strategies to Help Students Access Challenging Text, a practical guide that offers K–5 teachers, instructional coaches, and reading specialists 25 research-based strategies aligned to the science of reading to help all students access grade-level texts. Drawing on nearly two decades of experience working with both students and teachers, she focuses on scaffolding instruction through active reading, background knowledge activation, and peer-assisted learning to accelerate literacy achievement for diverse learners.

Throndsen serves as Director of Teaching and Learning for the Utah State Board of Education, where she has been a key voice in statewide efforts to improve early literacy and implement science-of-reading–aligned policy, including work connected to Utah’s Senate Bill 127. She is frequently featured on literacy podcasts and professional learning platforms, sharing practical scaffolding strategies for complex texts and emphasizing equitable access to challenging reading for all students.