The Secondary Literacy Gap: Why Our Struggling Readers Need More Than Accommodations

When a third-grader struggles with reading, everyone mobilizes. But when a ninth-grader can’t decode multisyllabic words or comprehend their biology textbook, the question too often shifts from “How do we teach this?” to “How do we work around this?”

Too many secondary students are offered accommodations instead of instruction—and families are left searching for help that’s hard to find. After more than a decade in special education, I’ve seen firsthand that adolescent literacy intervention works. Older students can and do make real progress when they finally receive the right kind of support.

In this post, I explore why struggling teen readers are falling through the cracks, what schools and families can do differently, and why it’s never too late to build the skills that open doors for life beyond high school.