Providing excellent reading instruction to adolescents is not enough for those who experience regular difficulties in school. Understanding where we go wrong, and how we can fix it, requires listening and being responsive to teens. Teenagers hold a critical piece of information that can help us unlock why some of them grow up to be amazing readers and others experience a lifetime of struggle. Leigh A. Hall is a professor at the University of Wyoming where she holds the Wyoming Excellence in Higher Education Endowed Chair in Literacy Education. She taught middle school language arts and social studies in Houston, Texas before returning to graduate school to earn a doctorate in literacy education. Dr. Hall's research centers on helping adolescents improve their academic reading and writing abilities. She has examined how engaging with adolescents as partners in their own reading development can allow them to take greater control over their growth and improve their motivation and desire to read. She has received multiple international awards for her research and is committed to understanding how we can support youth in their reading development. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx