The benefits of playwriting as a process for students are yet to be fully understood. While there is scarce research on playwriting pedagogy, the research that does exist suggests that playwriting provides several benefits for students relating to self-esteem, literacy and language development, as well as increased engagement in school and the wider community. This paper presents the findings of recent research into playwriting and adolescents which suggests that playwriting creates a unique reading experience for adolescents because it engages students creatively, collaboratively, and critically. Using the lens of the Four Resources model, this article argues that the playwriting process, as an authentic, engaging and motivating reading experience, provides genuine opportunities to engage in effective reading strategies that might be difficult to achieve in other classroom reading activities. The paper concludes that the use of the playwriting process in the English classroom provides a unique reading experience for adolescents. (Contains 1 figure and 3 notes.)