Dr. Catherine Snow on Adolescent Literacy: Why Learning to Read Doesn’t End in Third Grade

Emily Hayden, Ph.D.
May 15, 2026

We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Catherine Snow, the John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs Research Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and SERP Executive Board Chair, to discuss what research tells us about adolescent literacy and why struggling readers in middle and high school need instruction that reflects the increasing complexity of reading demands.

Below is an edited transcript of our conversation, originally featured in the EdWeek webinar Unlocking Success for Struggling Adolescent Readers.

Dr. Catherine Snow

Emily Hayden: Let’s begin by grounding ourselves in the research behind adolescent literacy. 

We hear a lot about the shift after third grade from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” But for many students, learning to read continues well beyond third grade. What strengths and challenges do adolescents who are still developing as readers bring to the reading task?

Catherine Snow: Let me start by saying that the “learn to read, read to learn” dichotomy is an oversimplification like many little mottos in education. Kids can learn through reading well before third grade, and they should be reading to learn before third grade. But after third or fourth grade, schools place a much greater emphasis on reading as a tool for learning content. At the same time, there’s often less instructional focus, and sometimes less teacher preparation, around helping students continue developing the increasingly complex reading skills they need.

Reading in adolescence involves much more than decoding. Students are reading to synthesize information, critique ideas, evaluate claims, and integrate knowledge across texts and disciplines.

The challenge is that when we assume students have fully “learned to read” by third grade, any continued struggles later on are often viewed as problems with the student rather than legitimate instructional needs. But it’s entirely understandable that many students continue to struggle.

The skills involved in reading broaden significantly over time. Some students acquire these skills naturally through extensive reading experiences. Others need explicit support and guidance.

The Key Differences Between Elementary and Adolescent Readers

Emily Hayden: What are some of the major differences between elementary readers and adolescent readers that educators should understand?

Catherine Snow: I think about those differences in three broad categories.

1) The Reading Tasks Become Much More Complex

A successful third-grade reader may be able to read a relatively simple text fluently and answer straightforward comprehension questions about plot or details.

Compare that to what we ask of eighth or tenth graders. We expect them to:

  • Synthesize information across a chapter
  • Evaluate evidence
  • Integrate ideas with prior knowledge
  • Explain historical causes and consequences
  • Analyze arguments and perspectives

The texts themselves also become more demanding, longer words, more complex syntax, denser academic language, and more abstract concepts.

If students haven’t received support in navigating these increasingly sophisticated tasks, it’s not surprising that they struggle.

2) Students Bring Accumulated Emotional Experiences With Reading

Young children generally come to school expecting to learn to read. Many experience success early on, which builds confidence.

But students who struggle in first, second, or third grade often accumulate years of frustration and negative experiences around reading. By middle school, some students may actively resist literacy tasks because reading has become associated with failure or embarrassment.

That emotional history matters.

3) Adolescents Need Authenticity and Autonomy

Developmentally, adolescents are very different from younger children.

First graders are generally willing to comply with adult-directed tasks, even boring ones. Older students are much more aware of what feels meaningful and authentic.

Adolescents want learning tasks that matter. They want opportunities for autonomy, collaboration, argumentation, and real thinking.

That means literacy instruction for older students needs to look fundamentally different from literacy instruction in the early grades.

What Strong Adolescent Literacy Instruction Looks Like

Emily Hayden: So what does strong literacy instruction look like for students in grades 6 and up?

Catherine Snow: I’ll make a strong claim here: strong literacy instruction for adolescents is often strong content instruction.

Students should be reading, writing, talking, and arguing about topics they genuinely care about. Literacy skills become tools students use in pursuit of meaningful goals.

Too often, schools rely on inauthentic tasks:

  • “Read the chapter and answer the questions.”
  • Worksheets disconnected from real purposes.

Instead, students should engage in tasks that feel purposeful and intellectually meaningful.

For example:

  • Writing a report about the causes of the Civil War
  • Collaborating with peers to synthesize information
  • Building arguments using textual evidence
  • Writing persuasive letters
  • Debating real issues

These kinds of tasks mirror what people actually do in workplaces, universities, and civic life.

Students are much more willing to work through difficult reading when they understand why they are doing it.

Where Adolescent Reading Interventions Often Miss the Mark

Emily Hayden: How do reading interventions address these needs, and where have they sometimes fallen short?

Catherine Snow: Many adolescent reading interventions are essentially slightly older versions of interventions designed for second graders.

That can be problematic.

For younger readers, the issue is often foundational decoding and phonics. But adolescent readers usually face a much more complex set of challenges:

  • Reading multisyllabic and morphologically complex words
  • Limited vocabulary knowledge
  • Gaps in background knowledge
  • Difficulty integrating information
  • Challenges with syntax and academic language
  • Weak fluency with complex texts
  • Motivation and engagement issues

Reading in adolescence is a far more complicated system, which means there are many more potential points of difficulty.

A successful intervention needs to address multiple dimensions simultaneously, not just decoding, but vocabulary, comprehension, background knowledge, fluency, motivation, and authentic engagement with meaningful tasks.

Because even adults have to work hard to read difficult texts. Adolescents are no different.

We’re grateful to Catherine Snow for sharing her insights and helping frame this important conversation about adolescent literacy. What’s so clear is that adolescents come to the table with real strengths, but the kinds of support that work in elementary school are often no longer sufficient. Her research continues to shape how educators think about reading development, intervention, and the kinds of authentic learning experiences that support older students as readers. We also want to thank the educators doing this work every day, creating classrooms where adolescents are challenged, supported, and given meaningful reasons to read, write, and think deeply.

To watch the full webinar, visit: https://www.serpinstitute.org/#webinar