Beyond Phonics: Why Secondary Reading Instruction Needs a Different Playbook

For decades, the reading conversation has centered on early literacy—and for good reason. Phonics and foundational decoding skills are essential for young readers learning how written language works.

But as students move into middle and high school, the demands of reading change dramatically. Unfortunately, instruction often does not.

Today’s secondary students are navigating increasingly complex texts in science, social studies, career pathways, and digital environments, but many are still being supported with strategies designed for early elementary learners. The result is a widening gap between what students can read and what they are expected to understand.

If we want adolescents to become confident, capable readers prepared for college, careers, and civic life, we need a different playbook for secondary reading instruction.

The Real State of Teen Reading

National trends paint a sobering picture. In Zinc Learning Labs' recent Teen Reading Report, we found that reading for pleasure has declined sharply over the past two decades, and national reading scores continue their long-term slide.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, only 14 percent of 13-year-olds reported reading for fun “almost every day” in 2023, down from 27 percent in 2012. Equally concerning, 31 percent of 13-year-olds said they “never or hardly ever” read for fun in 2023, up from 22 percent in 2012. These numbers reflect not just changing habits, but a fundamental disconnect between students and the reading they encounter in school.

But here’s the thing: The challenge goes deeper than motivation or screen time. Research shows that many secondary students—especially students of color, students from low-income backgrounds, students with disabilities, and multilingual learners—spend large portions of their school day working on below-grade-level assignments. These students are often sheltered from rigor, limiting their opportunity to grow as readers and thinkers.

When students aren’t consistently exposed to complex texts and high expectations, they miss the chance to build the stamina, vocabulary, and analytical skills needed for advanced learning. 

Why Secondary Reading Instruction Must Move Beyond Phonics

Phonics instruction teaches students how to decode words. That skill remains important, especially for students who never fully mastered foundational reading. But by adolescence, decoding is only one piece of a much larger literacy puzzle.

Secondary readers often struggle in four key areas:

Foundational Decoding
Many students continue to have difficulty breaking down multisyllabic words, slowing their reading and derailing comprehension.

Vocabulary Knowledge
Limited exposure to academic vocabulary makes it difficult for students to access grade-level texts across subjects. Without explicit instruction, vocabulary gaps grow as texts become more sophisticated.

Comprehension Skills
Even when sounding them out correctly, many students fail to connect words with meaning; they don’t visualize images or connect abstract words with meanings, track pronouns and transitions, follow arguments, or sustain understanding across longer passages.

Fluency and Stamina
Students may read too haltingly or lack the endurance to maintain comprehension in longer, complex texts, leading to frustration and disengagement.

Phonics addresses only the multisyllabic decoding challenges. Without intentional instruction in vocabulary and comprehension tactics, students may technically “read” the words on the page but fail to understand and learn from them.

Engagement Is Mandatory

Let’s be honest: Another misconception is that motivation is separate from instruction. In reality, learning depends on engagement.

If you think teens don’t read anymore, you haven’t seen BookTok. Millions of adolescents are staying up past midnight to finish books, filming tearful reactions to plot twists, and arguing passionately about character motivations in comment sections. Many young people discover new books through social media, form friendships around shared reading interests, and engage in vibrant online book communities. The reading is happening—just not always with the texts assigned in schools.

These behaviors reveal powerful motivators:

Community: Reading becomes more meaningful when it is shared, discussed, and celebrated.

Relevance: Teens want texts that reflect their interests, identities, and real-world concerns.

Autonomy: Choice increases ownership and willingness to engage with challenging material.

Earned Prestige: Adolescents are motivated by opportunities to earn respect and recognition through meaningful intellectual work.

Effective secondary literacy instruction must intentionally tap into these drivers—not treat engagement as a bonus or an afterthought.

What a New Playbook Looks Like

If phonics alone isn't sufficient, what should secondary reading instruction prioritize instead?

1. Multisyllabic Decoding Strategies and Reading Aloud
   These strategies are simple, requiring less than 30 minutes of instructional time, and set all students up for success.

2. Explicit Vocabulary and Language Development
   Academic language must be taught intentionally across content areas. Short, high-interest nonfiction texts can provide repeated exposure to domain-specific vocabulary in meaningful contexts. Pre-teaching just 5-10 words before assigning a text can significantly improve student confidence when encountering challenging passages.

3. Comprehension Strategy Instruction
   In order to comprehend and engage with a text, students need to actively turn words on the page into images, ideas, and meanings. Strong readers often do this without realizing it, but all students benefit from making these processes explicit. Teach students to look for words and phrases they can easily imagine with their senses, and model making abstract words and phrases real by connecting them to relevant examples. In addition, students need to notice and track pronouns and other navigational cues to stay connected to the writer’s meaning across longer sections of text.

   These transferable comprehension strategies are not limited to ELA class—they also boost engagement and understanding in biology, history, career-tech programs, and reading for pleasure. 

4. Regular Exposure to Challenging, Complex Texts
   Students grow by grappling with appropriately challenging material. Instruction should provide structured support that allows all learners to access complex texts, rather than defaulting to simplified content.

5. Motivation through Choice, Relevance, and Recognition
   Instruction should provide meaningful choice, connect to students’ lives and interests, and create opportunities for students to demonstrate mastery and earn authentic recognition for their thinking. Although much of the curriculum is mandated, teachers can integrate independent reading units or supplement curricular texts with a choice of related shorter readings.

6. Building Fluency and Reading Stamina
   Frequent, manageable reading opportunities help students increase endurance and confidence over time. Reading aloud, and making sure students read aloud, teaches students to notice when something doesn’t make sense, go back, and correct misreads. Progressively challenging texts support growth without overwhelming learners, and all students benefit from a classroom culture where noticing and fixing mistakes is a natural part of reading

7. Data-Informed Personalization
   Educators need clear insight into where students are struggling and how to target support efficiently. Personalized pathways help students progress at an appropriate pace while maintaining high expectations.

Preparing Readers for the World They’re Entering

Today’s students are entering a world that demands critical thinking, deep comprehension, and the ability to navigate complex information. Whether analyzing data, evaluating sources, or learning new skills on the job, reading remains foundational to opportunity.

When secondary reading instruction relies too heavily on early-literacy strategies, students are left underprepared for these demands. But when schools embrace a broader, more intentional approach to adolescent literacy—one that addresses the real needs of teens, students gain stronger reading skills, confidence, curiosity, and agency.

Imagine a high school where students debate op-eds during lunch, where students and teachers share both an understanding of the value of reading and a vocabulary for the skills required to succeed, where every kid has a teacher who knows exactly what reading skill to tackle next. That is what can happen when we finally give secondary literacy the playbook it demands.