Students' Close Reading of Science Texts

A question being asked by teachers across the country is, How can I teach students to acquire both the skills and knowledge demanded by the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) while simultaneously guiding them to read challenging texts such as those presented in Appendix B of the CCSS? Answering this invites the integration of ideas and the innovation of novel instructional plans. Illustrating close reading procedures in two classrooms‐ one 1st grade and one 5th grade‐ this article provides an answer by detailing the manner in which a student might approach a challenging science text using annotated reading, partner talk, text‐based questioning and reflective writing to build competence and a capacity for reading, writing, listening, and speaking about informational texts.