How to Get Teens Engaged as Readers

Reading books as a class in middle and high school can prove to be tricky, as students’ reading levels and engagement with material can vary widely. There are many valid reasons why a student may fall behind or not be able to read full chapters at home. But by creating a classroom culture that does not penalize or shame students for this, teachers can build a foundation to get teens reading in a more equitable way—and to take more delight in it. 

One critical strategy to even the playing field is to make time for reading during class. Teachers can facilitate this through choral reading, teacher or student read-alouds, or audiobooks. Alternatively, students can be divided into groups based on their progress, allowing one group to catch up on chapters they haven’t tackled yet while the other discusses themes.

When it’s time to review, another way to engage young readers is to allow them to take center stage by leading chapter recaps—either by sharing their take verbally or by using creative mediums like drawing or Google Slides with images, GIFs, emojis, or text messages. This allows teens to take ownership of the story they are reading and hear their classmates’ interpretations of the same texts—offering fresh and engaging perspectives. 

While reading a whole-class novel has its benefits, allowing students to choose their reading material can increase engagement by aligning with their interests and reading levels. Teachers can offer three or four books of varying reading levels that share a common theme, letting students select the one they are most comfortable with. Grouping students into literature circles based on their chosen book encourages discussion and collaboration, making the content more relatable and intriguing.

Building a literary culture in your class that allows for content to be accessible—and discussions to be student-led—can be the key to successfully getting teens to read. 

For more great ideas about how to get teens engaged as readers, check out the Edutopia community’s responses to the question, “What’s your solution to get students reading whole-class novels?” (And there are nearly 400 responses to the same question on Facebook.) Ileana Sherry’s 2022 article for Edutopia, “5 Tips for Teaching Novels When Students Won’t Read,” also offers lots of helpful ideas. For more about the benefits of book choice, watch the video “Motivating Students With Book Choice.”

​​Editor’s note: This summary was written with support from Edutopia’s custom AI tool, which prioritizes information from our archive of educational content.