diff --git a/active_model_serializers.gemspec b/active_model_serializers.gemspec
index 2d0d08b40..bbe2b508a 100644
--- a/active_model_serializers.gemspec
+++ b/active_model_serializers.gemspec
@@ -59,4 +59,6 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |spec|
   spec.add_development_dependency 'grape', ['>= 0.13', '< 1.0']
   spec.add_development_dependency 'json_schema'
   spec.add_development_dependency 'rake', ['>= 10.0', '< 12.0']
+  spec.add_development_dependency 'pry-byebug'
+  spec.add_development_dependency 'm'
 end
diff --git a/lib/active_model/serializer.rb b/lib/active_model/serializer.rb
index 7d499b909..de71f5e3f 100644
--- a/lib/active_model/serializer.rb
+++ b/lib/active_model/serializer.rb
@@ -191,10 +191,24 @@ def json_key
     end
 
     def read_attribute_for_serialization(attr)
+      # Start by favoring serializers method override
       if respond_to?(attr)
         send(attr)
       else
-        object.read_attribute_for_serialization(attr)
+        # Otherwise, check read_attribute_for_serialization
+        if object.respond_to?(:read_attribute_for_serialization)
+          object.read_attribute_for_serialization(attr)
+        else
+          # Fall back to object property/method
+          if object.respond_to?(attr)
+            object.send(attr)
+          else
+            # Special logic for hashes
+            if object.is_a?(Hash)
+              object[attr] || object[attr.to_s]
+            end
+          end
+        end
       end
     end
 
diff --git a/lib/active_model_serializers.rb b/lib/active_model_serializers.rb
index 76a32c497..02bef8015 100644
--- a/lib/active_model_serializers.rb
+++ b/lib/active_model_serializers.rb
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@
 require 'active_support/core_ext/object/with_options'
 require 'active_support/core_ext/string/inflections'
 require 'active_support/json'
+
+require 'active_model_serializers/model_mixin'
+
+require 'pry-byebug'
+
 module ActiveModelSerializers
   extend ActiveSupport::Autoload
   autoload :Model
diff --git a/lib/active_model_serializers/model.rb b/lib/active_model_serializers/model.rb
index b9937cb5c..b3ccaf9f7 100644
--- a/lib/active_model_serializers/model.rb
+++ b/lib/active_model_serializers/model.rb
@@ -3,23 +3,20 @@
 # serializable non-activerecord objects.
 module ActiveModelSerializers
   class Model
-    include ActiveModel::Model
-    include ActiveModel::Serializers::JSON
+    include ActiveModelSerializers::ModelMixin
 
-    attr_reader :attributes, :errors
+    attr_reader :attributes
 
-    def initialize(attributes = {})
-      @attributes = attributes && attributes.symbolize_keys
-      @errors = ActiveModel::Errors.new(self)
-      super
-    end
+    def initialize(attrs = {})
+      @attributes = attrs && attrs.symbolize_keys
 
-    # Defaults to the downcased model name.
-    def id
-      attributes.fetch(:id) { self.class.name.downcase }
+      @attributes.each_pair do |key, value|
+        if respond_to?("#{key}=", value)
+          send("#{key}=", value)
+        end
+      end
     end
 
-    # Defaults to the downcased model name and updated_at
     def cache_key
       attributes.fetch(:cache_key) { "#{self.class.name.downcase}/#{id}-#{updated_at.strftime('%Y%m%d%H%M%S%9N')}" }
     end
@@ -29,23 +26,8 @@ def updated_at
       attributes.fetch(:updated_at) { File.mtime(__FILE__) }
     end
 
-    def read_attribute_for_serialization(key)
-      if key == :id || key == 'id'
-        attributes.fetch(key) { id }
-      else
-        attributes[key]
-      end
-    end
-
-    # The following methods are needed to be minimally implemented for ActiveModel::Errors
-    # :nocov:
-    def self.human_attribute_name(attr, _options = {})
-      attr
-    end
-
-    def self.lookup_ancestors
-      [self]
+    def id
+      attributes.fetch(:id) { self.class.name.downcase }
     end
-    # :nocov:
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/active_model_serializers/model_mixin.rb b/lib/active_model_serializers/model_mixin.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..66af7d64e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/active_model_serializers/model_mixin.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+# ActiveModelSerializers::Model is a convenient
+# serializable class to inherit from when making
+# serializable non-activerecord objects.
+module ActiveModelSerializers
+  module ModelMixin
+    def self.included(klass)
+      klass.class_eval do
+        include ActiveModel::Model
+        include ActiveModel::Serializers::JSON
+
+        def read_attribute_for_serialization(key)
+          if key == :id || key == 'id'
+            send(key)
+          else
+            if is_a?(ActiveModelSerializers::Model)
+              # Support legacy behavior
+              attributes[key] || (send(key) if respond_to?(key))
+            else
+              send(key) if respond_to?(key)
+            end
+          end
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    #def id
+      #self.class.name.downcase
+    #end
+
+    #def cache_key
+    #end
+
+    #def errors
+      #@errors ||= ActiveModel::Errors.new(self)
+    #end
+
+    #def updated_at
+    #end
+
+    # This is just to make lint pass
+    # We shouldnt have this...
+    #def attributes
+      #{}
+    #end
+
+    # The following methods are needed to be minimally implemented for ActiveModel::Errors
+    # :nocov:
+    #def self.human_attribute_name(attr, _options = {})
+      #attr
+    #end
+
+    #def self.lookup_ancestors
+      #[self]
+    #end
+    # :nocov:
+  end
+end
diff --git a/test/action_controller/json_api/fields_test.rb b/test/action_controller/json_api/fields_test.rb
index 4bf08c7e9..988c4815f 100644
--- a/test/action_controller/json_api/fields_test.rb
+++ b/test/action_controller/json_api/fields_test.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 require 'test_helper'
-
+require 'pry-byebug'
 module ActionController
   module Serialization
     class JsonApi
diff --git a/test/active_model_serializers/model_mixin_test.rb b/test/active_model_serializers/model_mixin_test.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ccbe5c1f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/active_model_serializers/model_mixin_test.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+require 'test_helper'
+
+module ActiveModelSerializers
+  class ModelMixinTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
+    def setup
+      @klass = Class.new do
+        #include ActiveModelSerializers::ModelMixin
+        attr_accessor :key, :id
+        def self.name
+          'TestModel'
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    def test_poro_serialize
+      serializer = Class.new(ActiveModel::Serializer) do
+        attributes :key
+      end
+      model_instance = @klass.new
+      model_instance.key = 'value'
+
+      json = serializer.new(model_instance, {}).as_json
+      assert_equal({ key: 'value' }, json)
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/test/active_model_serializers/model_test.rb b/test/active_model_serializers/model_test.rb
index 7bfb2edf4..dc53c16cf 100644
--- a/test/active_model_serializers/model_test.rb
+++ b/test/active_model_serializers/model_test.rb
@@ -6,17 +6,73 @@ class ModelTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
 
     def setup
       @resource = ActiveModelSerializers::Model.new
+
+      @klass = Class.new(ActiveModelSerializers::Model) do
+        attr_accessor :key
+
+        def self.name
+          'TestModel'
+        end
+      end
     end
 
     def test_initialization_with_string_keys
-      klass = Class.new(ActiveModelSerializers::Model) do
-        attr_accessor :key
+      model_instance = @klass.new('key' => 'value')
+
+      assert_equal 'value', model_instance.read_attribute_for_serialization(:key)
+    end
+
+    def test_direct_accessor_assignment
+      model_instance = @klass.new
+      model_instance.key = 'value'
+      assert_equal 'value', model_instance.read_attribute_for_serialization(:key)
+    end
+
+    def test_fetch_id_from_attributes
+      model_instance = @klass.new(id: 1)
+      assert_equal 1, model_instance.id
+    end
+
+    # Note: 'id' defined by attr_accessor
+    # is mutually exclusive from default id behavior
+    # IOW, defined attr_accessors 'win'
+    def test_id_from_accessor
+      @klass.class_eval do
+        attr_accessor :id
       end
-      value = 'value'
+      model_instance = @klass.new
+      model_instance.id = 1
+      assert_equal 1, model_instance.id
+    end
 
-      model_instance = klass.new('key' => value)
+    # not needed, out superclass
+    #def test_id_as_defined_method
+      #@klass.class_eval do
+        #def id
+          #@id
+        #end
+
+        #def id=(val)
+          #@id = val
+        #end
+      #end
+
+      #model_instance = @klass.new
+      #model_instance.id = 1
+      #assert_equal 1, model_instance.id
+    #end
+
+    # Note: This does not work if @klass defines
+    # attr_accessor :id
+    def test_default_id
+      model_instance = @klass.new
+      assert_equal 'testmodel', model_instance.id
+    end
 
-      assert_equal model_instance.read_attribute_for_serialization(:key), value
+    def test_errors
+      model_instance = @klass.new
+      model_instance.errors.add(:key, 'is blank')
+      assert_equal true, model_instance.errors[:key].present?
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/adapter/json_api/resource_identifier_test.rb b/test/adapter/json_api/resource_identifier_test.rb
index 62b7d93b3..a1458ca25 100644
--- a/test/adapter/json_api/resource_identifier_test.rb
+++ b/test/adapter/json_api/resource_identifier_test.rb
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 require 'test_helper'
 
+require 'pry-byebug'
+
 module ActiveModelSerializers
   module Adapter
     class JsonApi
diff --git a/test/serializers/read_attribute_for_serialization_test.rb b/test/serializers/read_attribute_for_serialization_test.rb
index 21677e657..baaf0d584 100644
--- a/test/serializers/read_attribute_for_serialization_test.rb
+++ b/test/serializers/read_attribute_for_serialization_test.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 require 'test_helper'
+require 'pry-byebug'
 
 module ActiveModel
   class Serializer
@@ -51,7 +52,8 @@ def success
       end
 
       def test_child_serializer_with_error_attribute
-        error = ErrorResponse.new(error: 'i have an error')
+        error = ErrorResponse.new
+        error.error = 'i have an error'
         serializer = ErrorResponseSerializer.new(error)
         serializer_with_super = ErrorResponseWithSuperSerializer.new(error)
         assert_equal false, serializer.read_attribute_for_serialization(:status)