Key points:
- Reading can help students make sense of the world and their place in it
- 4 tips to help older K-12 readers
- Strengthening middle school literacy: What educators need to know
- For more news on literacy, visit eSN’s Innovative Teaching hub
Reading is competing for attention in a world built for scrolling. A recent University of Florida study found that the share of Americans who read for pleasure on an average day dropped from 28 percent in 2003 to just 16 percent in 2023. Even when magazines, e-books, and audiobooks are included, that’s a 42 percent decline over two decades.
These findings signal a broad shift in how people choose to spend their free time, and reading is unfortunately taking a backseat in today’s digital, cluttered world. It’s also a great opportunity for teachers to reverse the tide and help reignite a love of reading among students. The work is challenging, but teachers don’t have to do it alone. Proven best-practice approaches exist to help ignite a genuine love of reading in every student.
Discovering the joy and power of reading
Every adolescent deserves to discover the joy and power of reading. When students see themselves in stories, ask questions, and feel confident exploring new ideas, reading becomes more than a skill; it becomes a lifelong source of curiosity and connection. In fact, it does what few other activities can: strengthens vocabulary, comprehension, and overall academic performance, while also exposing students to perspectives beyond their own.
When teachers help students connect with books in ways that feel relevant and rewarding, they don’t just support literacy. They help shape how students learn, think, and engage long after the school day ends. That influence becomes even more critical in adolescence, a period when formal supports often diminish and students are increasingly expected to manage their own learning. Too often, screens step in to fill that void despite the fact that adolescents benefit most from experiences that cultivate focus, perspective, and deeper thinking.
That gap shows up every day in classrooms, especially as students move into the middle grades.
This is where we often see students who love stories but struggle with traditional reading instruction. It happens because children today read less than previous generations, and this gap is reflected in their writing, vocabulary, and ability to comprehend complex ideas.
Get teens leaning into reading
We’re also witnessing a growing divide between students who have access to high-quality literacy experiences and those who don’t. Some students were read to nightly from infancy, equipped with a home library and family conversations full of vocabulary. Others grew up in homes where essentials took priority, books were a luxury, and parents juggled multiple jobs while also supporting their children’s education.
The negative impacts can be long-lasting. Students who struggle with reading in third grade don’t catch up naturally by the time they reach middle or high school. In many cases, those challenges follow them into adulthood, narrowing career options, making it harder to support their own children’s learning, and undermining confidence in everyday tasks like completing medical paperwork or job applications.
On the flip side, the opportunity here is real. Even in our digital world, literacy will always support confidence, connection, and a sense of capability–especially during adolescence. When instruction aligns with how teens learn and engage, reading feels meaningful rather than mandatory. That’s where teachers can make the biggest difference. Here are five ways to put it into practice in the classroom:
1. Give them choice and independence. Adolescents respond better when they feel ownership over their learning. Offer authentic choices that let students discover what genuinely holds their interest, rather than steering everyone toward the same material. Independent time works best when students see it as something to look forward to, whether that means quiet focus, peer conversation, or both. Finally, when expectations align with individual interests and effort instead of arbitrary page counts, students will stay engaged and follow through.
2. Make it social. Reading doesn’t have to be solitary, especially for adolescents who learn through interaction. When students have space to talk through ideas, understanding deepens and engagement follows. Discussions work best when they feel informal and student-led–more like a hangout than a lesson, where reactions and favorite moments matter. When peers drive the conversation, insight and enthusiasm tend to surface on their own.
3. Use tech as the connection point. Digital tools can help extend learning beyond the classroom and give students more ways to engage with text, ideas, and each other. That’s the thinking behind Lexia’s middle school solution, PowerUp Literacy , which uses adaptive instruction to address skill gaps while supporting grade-level demands. By pairing individualized practice with clear insight into student progress, it helps teachers connect instruction, feedback, and engagement in ways that fit how adolescents learn. And because it connects students to content in multiple formats, the technology becomes less of a distraction and more of a bridge between skills, interests and learning.
4. Teach where teens are. Adolescence is a period of identity formation, and what students encounter during this stage matters. Teens appreciate books that not only resonate with their lives, but also align with their passions and interests. Teachers who recognize these dynamics tend to be more purposeful in their instructional choices. By offering a variety of formats, such as graphic novels, poetry, and informational texts, they create multiple entry points and keep students engaged.
5. Always lead by example. Students need to see their teachers as fellow readers who struggle, discover, and grow through books. This vulnerability and authenticity foster a genuine reading culture where everyone learns together. By thinking aloud about their own reading process and learning strategies, teachers demonstrate how skilled readers navigate challenges and find meaning in texts. Other good steps include discussing reading challenges and strategies, building time for shared reading as a class, and showing how ideas connect to interests and decisions outside of the four walls of the classroom.
The vision: Readers for life
Imagine students who choose to read because they want to, not because they have to. Picture classrooms where reading is joyful, social, and purposeful–connecting students to ideas, peers, and new possibilities. Envision communities that value reading as a lifelong, enriching practice. We now have the evidence and understanding needed for this evolution in reading instruction.
The question is not whether we can create engaged, skilled readers, but whether we will. Will we move beyond practices that fail students and toward approaches that honor both the science and the humanity of reading? Preparing students for life means helping them see reading as a way to make sense of the world and their place within it. The path may be challenging, but every future reader is well worth the effort.
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