Effective reading instruction in middle and high school isn't just about comprehension—it's about making content accessible and fostering a deep, active relationship with challenging texts within the disciplines. This is the Science of Secondary Reading, and a powerful framework for understanding it is the Active View of Reading (AVR) Model, first introduced by Nell Duke and Kelly Cartright in 2021. An evolution of both the Simple View of Reading and Scarborough’s Reading Rope, the AVR model emphasizes that reading is a dynamic process involving word recognition and language comprehension, interconnected by bridging processes, and guided by the reader's active self-regulation. The latter includes motivation and engagement, executive function skills, and strategy use, which are the engines that drive all other processes and are crucial for a reader's success as they work together to create a holistic reading experience where the reader is not just a passive recipient of information but an active constructor of meaning.

The Science of Reading (SOR) movement has reshaped early literacy and brought clarity, coherence, and measurable success to classrooms nationwide. Its foundation in the Simple View of Reading (SVR) along with Scarborough’s Rope model has guided educators toward a more comprehensive approach to literacy instruction that includes teaching the skills necessary for both word recognition and language comprehension. These shifts have brought a more explicit, systematic, and multisensory instructional approach in Word Recognition, resulting in stronger decoding skills. Moreover, teachers have recognized the important role that background knowledge and vocabulary play in reading comprehension over isolated strategy instruction and have made efforts to integrate more knowledge and vocabulary building through interdisciplinary reading instruction. 

While much of the conversation around literacy development has recently focused on revolutionizing the way that we teach reading, much less has been propounded about writing instruction.  Yet, if we were to consider the reciprocal relationship of reading and writing in literacy development, then we must reflect and reevaluate the ways in which we teach writing. 

If we want students to be invested in their learning and value reading as a rich, meaningful, and relevant endeavor, we must be sure that we design instruction in ways that allow for engagement, transfer, and creativity. 

Starting with a quick informational piece can help us get to know our students–what they like to do, where they go, what they’re passionate about and can teach–all while teaching conventions and syntax.

This article explores five insights that we wish we had known sooner and strategies that would have proven useful in reaching many students over the years in the classroom.

This article explores how writing about reading can tap into the social media worlds of students. It offers a fresh approach to exploring tools and techniques to engage students in deeper thinking and ways to convey ideas