The Real Reason Teens Aren’t Reading (Hint: It’s Not the Phone)

Presented by Priscilla Barrera, English 1 Lead Teacher, IDEA San Juan College Prep (TX); and Matt Bardin, Nationally Recognized Educational Leader, and Founder and CEO, Zinc Learning Labs

Sponsored by Zinc Learning Labs

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Adolescent disengagement is often attributed to phones, apathy, or low motivation. While those factors play a role, research suggests a deeper issue: our secondary students aren’t comprehending what they read.

In this edWebinar, Priscilla Barrera and Matt Bardin, experienced secondary educators, examine how social-emotional development and adolescent brain research intersect with reading instruction. Attendees will walk away with a research-aligned, fresh approach for motivating teen readers: explicit reading instruction, meaningful choice, structured discussion, and high expectations. Hear from Priscilla, who brought these strategies to life in her ninth-grade classroom.

This edWebinar will be of interest to middle and high school teachers, librarians, ELA department chairs, and ELA administrators.

Priscilla Barrera is a dedicated English language arts educator and teacher leader with over 14 years of experience in education. She currently teaches Pre-AP English I at IDEA Public Schools and ENG 1301 at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, while also serving as a National ELA Curriculum Leader supporting literacy and vertical alignment initiatives. Priscilla’s work focuses on evidence-based reading and writing instruction, with a deep commitment to ensuring multilingual learners and historically underserved students have access to rigorous, culturally responsive literacy experiences.

Matt Bardin, a nationally recognized educational leader, founded Zinc Learning Labs in 2016 with a singular focus on achieving huge reading growth for secondary students. He started his career as a secondary teacher in New York City Public Schools and contributed to the founding of Teach For America. Through his work as a tutor with students worldwide, Matt developed critical reading and test prep strategies that help students raise test scores by building their love for reading and learning.

Learn more about earning a CE certificate and our accessibility features.

Join the Be a Literacy Hero community to network with educators, participate in online discussions, receive invitations to upcoming edWebinars, and view recordings of previous programs to earn CE certificates.

Zinc Learning Labs is a science-backed reading skills accelerator for secondary schools that drives transformative reading growth. Zinc offers easy-to-implement, individualized, digital experiences backed by comprehensive reporting, empowering teachers to guide all students to reading success.