Drawing data (N = 625) from the 2004 Assessment Tools for Teaching and Learning Version 4 database, this article explores how New Zealand Years 11-12 secondary students perceived the importance of learning to read and write in English and how those perceptions related to their reading attitudes and performance. More positive student perceptions of learning reading comprehension supported greater interest while more positive perceptions of learning to write supported self-efficacy. Increased performance was positively enhanced by greater self-efficacy more than greater interest. This study emphasises the importance of learning to write as a support for greater reading comprehension.