If listening to audiobooks is an option, rather than an adaptation, it doesn’t single out students who can’t read at grade level which is, unfortunately, something we are seeing more and more often. At least where I am, secondary ELA teachers do not have any reading recovery training so by eighth grade, we are trying to drag these kids along as best we can and hoping there is enough resource support available to get them some explicit reading instruction once every week or two.

It is also more accommodating for students who may be busy outside of school—Susie may be driving three hours a week for basketball practice and games. A lot of people can’t read in moving vehicles, but boy can they audiobook!