Cognitive science has provided solid evidence for strategies like retrieval practice. But those strategies only work if they’re applied to substantive content or a transferable skill—and too often, literacy instruction focuses on non-transferable skills like “making inferences.” The overwhelming focus on such skills at lower grade levels, combined with a failure to recognize the heavy cognitive load imposed by reading and especially writing, leaves many students without the knowledge and skills assumed by the curriculum later on. Even in the age of AI, it’s crucial to have that knowledge and those skills stored in long-term memory. To enable all students to reach their full potential, we need to break down the artificial walls separating reading, writing, and learning—both in research and classroom practice.