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It was a comfortable afternoon for the Championship leaders at Turf Moor as Reading took another stride closer to Premiership football.
The home side lost on-loan striker Michael Ricketts to illness prior to kick-off and the strikeforce of 18-year-old Kyle Lafferty and Northern Ireland international defender Michael Duff was always likely to be short of goals.
Reading took the lead on 10 minutes with an outstanding strike by Bobby Convey from 25 yards into the top corner which give keeper Brian Jensen no chance.
Lafferty created Burnley's first opening, turning Ivar Ingimarsson with a fine piece of skill but showing his inexperience by firing hastily wide of the target.
Lafferty was again involved in the action on 22 mintues as he linked up with full-back Duff whose shot was saved by Marcus Hahnemann.
Reading lost striker Leroy Lita with a suspected fractured leg just prior to the half-time interval and the visitors were forced into another change seven minutes into the second half when John Oster was replaced by former Claret Glen Little.
Little's first touch was a free-kick which saw Ingimarsson's header cleared off the line by John McGreal.
But there was to be no let off for the home team as from another Little free-kick central defender Ibrahima Sonko extended Reading's lead.
In a rare Burnley attack Lafferty was again prominent, testing keeper Hahnemann with a fine strike.
However, Burnley needed a good save from Jensen to deny James Harper, whose shot from the edge of the box looked destined for the top corner.
Burnley's misery was compounded in stoppage time as substitute Steve Hunt, on in place of fellow substitute Little, skipped past Jon Harley and crossed for the unmarked Dave Kitson to complete the proceedings.
Reading's three-prong strikeforce have now scored 45 goals between them this season and the Royals now have one foot in the Premiership and should secure their promotion in a matter of weeks.
For Burnley the season cannot finish soon enough with Steve Cotterill's team now only having one win in 10 league matches.