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Reading is an unnatural act. We are not born with the ability to read. Reading is a unique human skill that we learn. Some students will struggle learning to read but not all of them have problems in the same areas.
Reading is an unnatural act. We are not born with the ability to read. Reading is a unique human skill that we learn. Some students will struggle learning to read but not all of them have problems in the same areas.
Scientists have studied the science of reading for a long time. There is an abundance of research on how the brain learns to read and what specific skills are necessary to achieve reading comprehension. It is important to understand how humans learn to read in order to better help our adolescent readers. In order to read, students must have both strong language comprehension and word recognition skills.
Scientists have studied the science of reading for a long time. There is an abundance of research on how the brain learns to read and what specific skills are necessary to achieve reading comprehension. It is important to understand how humans learn to read in order to better help our adolescent readers. In order to read, students must have both strong language comprehension and word recognition skills.
In the primary grades, students work on phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency. In adolescence, students work on word study, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and motivation/engagement. Most of the research available on the reading brain will focus mostly on how young students learn to read or the phonics and phonological awareness pieces of the puzzle.
In the primary grades, students work on phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency. In adolescence, students work on word study, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and motivation/engagement. Most of the research available on the reading brain will focus mostly on how young students learn to read or the phonics and phonological awareness pieces of the puzzle.
On this page, you will learn about the science behind reading from foundational literacy to adolescent literacy.
On this page, you will learn about the science behind reading from foundational literacy to adolescent literacy.
The Science of Reading:
Click Here to Learn more About the Basics of Foundational Reading and Reading Instruction
CSRA RESA Reading Resources Center
The Science of Reading:
Click Here to Learn More about Adolescent Reading and Writing
The Active View of Reading is a relatively new theory of reading developed by Nell Duke and Kelly Cartwright that incorporates the whole child into Scarborough's Rope and the Simple View of Reading. Their study was published in 2021.
Think of reading not as a passive act, but as an active, complex process. The Active View of Reading adds to the Simple View of Reading (Gough and Tumner, 1986) which emphasizes decoding and comprehension. Instead, the Active View recognizes that readers, especially adolescent ones, need multiple, interacting systems to become skilled.
The Active View of Reading includes four key components that work together, not in isolation:
Language Comprehension
Students need background knowledge, vocabulary, syntax, and verbal reasoning to understand what they read.
Background knowledge
Vocabulary
Sentence structure & text cohesion
Example: Previewing vocabulary before reading a science article.
Word Recognition
This involves phonological awareness, decoding, and fluency which are foundations that still matter for middle and high schoolers who struggle.
Phonological awareness
Phonics & decoding
Word automaticity
Example: Practicing sound-spelling patterns like “igh” in “light”.
Executive Function
This is where attention, memory, and self-monitoring kick in. Can students stick with a complex text? Can they track meaning and ask questions as they go?
Setting goals
Monitoring understanding
Adjusting strategies
Example: Stopping mid-paragraph to re-read if something doesn’t make sense.
Motivation and Engagement
This is often the missing piece. If a student doesn’t want to read or doesn’t believe they can, the other three systems are harder to activate.
Curiosity and interest in content
Sense of purpose while reading
Confidence and identity as a reader
Example: Giving students choice in reading topics during social studies to build buy-in and personal relevance.
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