back to the clearinghouse

Education and Civic Leaders Educator Preparation Providers Parents and Caregivers Educators

Adolescent Reading Comprehension Instruction and Intervention

Date added: November 14, 2025

A review of studies addressing eading comprehension outcomes among adolescent learners.

Abstract

This systematic review examines experimental studies of reading interventions that address and measure reading comprehension outcomes among adolescent learners. This review includes studies published between 2014 and 2025 involving students in grades four through nine across 62 studies, including randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental, and single-case designs. The findings indicate that interventions embedding reading instruction in science and social studies, those utilizing explicit instruction of comprehension strategies, and those focusing on activating background knowledge, identifying main ideas, and summarizing yielded positive effects on reading comprehension.

Share Resource

evidence snapshots

Evidence Snapshot for Education and Civic Leaders

Improving Adolescent Comprehension Outcomes

Investing in research-based comprehension instruction strengthens learning across all domains.

Evidence Snapshot for Parents and Caregivers

Supporting Your Student's Reading Comprehension

Ask questions, talk about ideas, and encourage regular reading to support a student's comprehension.

Evidence Snapshot for Educators

Teaching Reading Comprehension in Grades 4-9

Teaching comprehension includes word recognition, background knowledge, and language understanding.

Evidence Snapshot for Educator Preparation Providers

Preparing Teachers to Teach Reading Comprehension

Preparing future teachers to embed comprehension strategies across content areas is essential.

Reading Resources

for Kentucky Leaders, Educators & Families

Learn about the most effective, practical and proven reading literacy programs based on the latest academic research, and the best ways to advocate for kids in your care.

For Leaders

Adolescent

Adolescent Literacy Motivation in Grades 4-9

Embedding motivation into instruction is essential to keeping adolescents engaged in learning.

For Educators

Adolescent

Adolescent Literacy Motivation for Grades 4-9

Create classrooms where adolescents not only learn to read well—but want to read more.

For Families

Adolescent

Adolescent Literacy Motivation for Grades 4-9

When students want to read, they read more—and when they read more, their skills grow.

For Researchers

Adolescent

Adolescent Literacy Motivation for Grades 4-9

EPPs should treat motivation as a core element of adolescent literacy instruction—not an add-on.

Evidence at Your Fingertips

Explore our clearinghouse of scientifically-based reading research, where evidence-based insights inform effective literacy practices for Kentucky educators, education and civic leaders, parents and caregivers, and educator preparation providers.

Adolescent

Adolescent Motivation and Engagement in Literacy Learning

A systematic review of instructional interventions that support motivation in grades 4-9.

Foundational

Foundational Reading Comprehension Interventions for K-3 Students

A review of instructional interventions aimed improving foundational reading comprehension.

Adolescent