Redesigning reading in and for the disciplines

Challenges associated with reading in the disciplines are well documented. In this article, we report on a small-scale study that was part of a larger school-university design-based research collaboration focused on improving literacy learning in Australian high schools. We discuss Paired Wide Reading (PWR), an instructional innovation designed to increase opportunities for adolescent learners to read engaging and relevant texts within disciplinary lessons. Mean pre and post-test reading comprehension scores revealed statistically significant improvements of twice the expected rate of gain for participating Year 9 students. Highlighting the potential of interdisciplinary collaboration among teachers, findings also suggest PWR's cumulative effect on measures of student reading comprehension. Students exposed to PWR across several curricular areas made the greatest gains. Additionally, teachers who infused PWR into their disciplinary lessons found it to be engaging, enriching and effective. This study underscores the potential of school-university collaborations to redesign instruction in impactful ways.