Students move from learning to read to reading to learn. Adolescent comprehension is critical for academic success. Comprehension in adolescence involves understanding and interpreting complex texts across different subjects.

Successful comprehension skills involve being able to read a text and monitor comprehension as you go. A reader with strong comprehension skills will be able to make connections with the text, interact with it, and draw conclusions from the text, instead of just regurgitating what they read (Goldman, 2012).

5 components of adolescent comprehension include: background knowledge, vocabulary development, text analysis skills, critical thinking, monitoring comprehension (metacognition).

Critical thinking is the ability to decide for oneself what to believe about a particular topic, claim, or controversy, based on an objective analysis of the relevant information, clear reasoning, and a willingness to consider multiple points of view (Santrock, 1996).

Critical thinking is a metacognitive activity that requires thoughtful reflection on what one knows or believes about a particular issue, how and why one thinks that way, and how one’s own views about that issue may differ from those held by others (Kuhn, 1999; Kuhn & Dean, 2004).

Critical thinking allows an individual to make informed choices, supported by accurate information, clear reasoning, and the recognition of multiple points of view. For these reasons, it is essential that all adolescents acquire the relevant skills to help them succeed in this cognitive–linguistic domain (Nippold et al., 2020).

Critical thinking skills allow individuals to effectively evaluate and analyze information found online, discerning reliable sources from misinformation, and making informed decisions when navigating the digital world.

Adolescents are required to evaluate text from several different sources, especially digital sources in the modern classroom, a process that requires them to decide what information is most germane, valid, and reliable (Nippold et al., 2020).

Writing skills are the ability to convey meaningful messages through written and/or typed words. Audience and purpose should be considered when writing (IConnect, 2024).

Writing skill is a predictor of academic success and a basic requirement for participation in civic life and in the global economy (Graham & Perin, 2007).

"If today’s youngsters cannot read with understanding, think about and analyze what they’ve read, and then write clearly and effectively about what they’ve learned and what they think, then they may never be able to do justice to their talents and their potential" (Graham & Perin, 2007).

Writing skills are necessary for effective communication. The digital world revolves around constant communication among others within the digital realm. Without effective writing skills, adolescents won't be able to communicate their thoughts, ideas, opinions through meaningful messages that others are able to understand and interact with.

Writing is an essential skill in the digital age, enabling individuals to express their thoughts, share information, and communicate effectively with others. In a world dominated by social media, blogs, and online forums, strong writing skills are crucial for making a positive impact (The Importance of Reading and Writing in Digital Literacy, 2024).

Fluency is the ability to read orally with sufficient accuracy, appropriate rate, and suitable expression. Fluent readers recognize and read words automatically as they move through a text.

Having the ability to read fluently allows adolescents to efficiently navigate, comprehend, and critically engage with digital content. In today's digital world, people encounter vast amounts of information in various formats, from websites and social media posts to online articles and multimedia texts.

Disciplinary literacy focuses on teaching students the differences among the various texts used in different disciplines and the specialized reading practices required for comprehension and critical analysis of ideas within each (Annenberg Learner, 2019).

Disciplinary literacy teaches students to move beyond the use of general reading strategies toward the use of specialized reading practices for making sense of the unique texts found within each discipline. Each discipline represents knowledge and the ways of producing and communicating that knowledge differently, resulting in a different approach to reading (Annenberg Learner, 2019).

Disciplinary literacy skills are important for digital literacy because they enable individuals to critically engage with digital content in a way that is specific to different fields of knowledge.

Disciplinary literacy skills are essential for navigating the digital world because they allow for critical thinking and source evaluation, effective communication, data interpretation, navigating digital tools, and avoiding misinformation. By combining disciplinary literacy with digital literacy, individuals become more skilled at consuming, analyzing, and creating content that is accurate, credible, and relevant to their field of interest.