Science of Reading… in Science Class: A Practical Playbook for Grades 6–10
- olivershearman
- Dec 24, 2025
- 6 min read
If Science of Reading is in the air at your school, you might be thinking: That’s for primary teachers… right? Not quite.
While a lot of Science of Reading conversations focus on early decoding, the big idea that matters for Grades 6–10 science is this: reading comprehension grows when students build knowledge, vocabulary, and purposeful strategies to understand complex text. In other words, if students can’t comfortably read science, they can’t fully do science.
And here’s the good news: you don’t need to turn into an English teacher to build strong readers in your lab. You just need a simple, repeatable system that makes science reading feel like science learning.
This post is that system. It’s a practical playbook you can run tomorrow, built around:
short, high-interest science reading passages with questions
fast routines that build vocabulary and background knowledge
structured talk and writing (CER)
optional differentiation using two-level dual passages
extensions into research, debate, and critical thinking
(If you want to browse the full library of ready-to-use science texts and tools as you read, start here: The Teaching Astrophysicist shop.)
What Science of Reading means for science teachers (without the jargon)
The Science of Reading is a broad body of research spanning education, psychology, and language, aimed at understanding how students learn to read and what instruction helps most. (AERO)
For Grades 6–10 science, the most useful translation is:
Students understand science texts better when they:
know the topic (background knowledge)
know the language (science vocabulary and morphology)
practice reading like a scientist (disciplinary literacy: evidence, argumentation, careful attention to claims and data)
This disciplinary literacy idea is especially important in secondary years, where reading for understanding becomes tightly linked to evidence-based reasoning and argument. (Institute of Education Sciences)
So your goal is not more reading. Your goal is better science learning through reading.
The core routine: a 25–35 minute Science Text Cycle you can reuse all year
You can run this once a week (high impact), twice a week (transformational), or use it as a flexible lesson plug-in whenever you need it.
Step 1: Prime the brain (3 minutes)
Do one quick warm-up:
a predict the topic image
a true/false statement
a short question: What do you already know?
a mini concept check
Why it works: background knowledge matters for comprehension, and science class is a powerful place to build it. (Reading Rockets)
Step 2: Teach 4–6 key terms (5 minutes)
Choose a few essential words from the passage:
2 concept words (e.g., “ion,” “enzyme,” “equilibrium”)
2 process words (e.g., “transfer,” “react,” “compare”)
1–2 cross-curriculum words (e.g., “evidence,” “variable,” “trend”)
Keep it simple:
student-friendly definition
one example in a sentence
one “non-example” (optional)
Step 3: Read in chunks (10–15 minutes)
Students read a section at a time. After each chunk, they do a micro-task:
write a 10-word “gist”
circle one sentence that “contains the main idea”
underline evidence (facts, data, examples)
Reading Rockets describes these kinds of before/during/after strategies (prior knowledge, key vocabulary, getting the gist) as evidence-based supports in content areas. (Reading Rockets)
Step 4: Questions with purpose (8–12 minutes)
Use the built-in questions to check understanding, then push thinking:
2 literal questions (find and explain)
2 inference questions (why/how)
1 application question (real world)
Step 5: One tight output (5–8 minutes)
Pick ONE:
Exit ticket: “One claim + one piece of evidence from the text.”
CER mini paragraph
“Explain it to a younger student” summary
This is where reading becomes science.
The easiest way to make this routine sustainable: use ready-made science passages with questions
If you’ve ever tried to write your own texts, you know the pain: it takes forever, and you still have to write questions, vocabulary, and a structure that works in a real classroom.
That’s why a library of science reading passages with questions is so valuable. It lets you build a weekly literacy routine without reinventing the wheel.
A few helpful starting points from my store:
1) A full-year “Article a Day” library (huge value for busy teachers)
If you want maximum flexibility across biology, chemistry, physics, earth science, health, and space science, this is the biggest option:
It’s designed as a grab-and-go library with lots of topics and includes multiple two-level passages in the set.
2) Subject-specific collections (for tight unit alignment)
If you prefer to match passages to your unit sequence, these collections make it easy:
Differentiation that doesn’t triple your workload: dual reading passages
In Grades 6–10, the reading spread in one class can be enormous. Two-level (dual) passages solve a real problem:
same core concept
two reading levels
students can access the idea without you rewriting everything
You can use dual passages in three smart ways:
Choice: students pick the level that fits them
Scaffold: everyone reads the accessible text first, then the advanced version as extension
Group: targeted versions for targeted groups (support vs stretch)
You’ll see dual passages across multiple subjects (chemistry, physics, space, health) in the collections above.
The “Science Text Menu”: 5 high-impact ways to use passages (that teachers actually need)
1) Weekly science literacy routine
One passage per week builds:
vocabulary
background knowledge
confidence reading science text
better answers on written assessments
2) Sub plans that don’t collapse
A passage + questions + one output (CER or summary) is a calm, structured sub lesson. The big passage library bundle is especially useful for this.
3) Fast finishers and extension
Keep a folder of choice passages. Students who finish early grab one and complete:
4 questions
one CER claim
one vocabulary card
4) Pre-lab or post-lab clarity
Before a practical: build concept and vocabulary.After a practical: explain results and fix misconceptions.
5) Test revision that isn’t just practice questions
Text-based review forces retrieval in a new format and improves explanation quality.
Make it disciplinary: teach students to argue from evidence (without chaos)
In secondary science, reading isn’t just comprehension. It’s evidence-based reasoning: spotting claims, tracking evidence, evaluating explanations, and communicating conclusions. That’s exactly what Project READI (IES) emphasizes for Grades 6–12: reading for understanding as evidence-based argumentation across texts, including science. (Institute of Education Sciences)
Two simple routines to build this:
Routine A: Claim–Evidence highlight
Students highlight:
one claim sentence
one evidence sentence
one sentence that explains why it matters
Routine B: Mini-debate after reading (10 minutes)
After a passage, pose a question like:
“Should we prioritize X?”
“Which explanation is best supported?”
“What trade-offs exist?”
If you want a fully structured version of this (roles, sentence starters, rubrics, evidence cards), debate packs make it easy:
Extend reading into inquiry: Read, then research (without losing structure)
A common issue in Grades 6–10 is that students can read something, but struggle to turn it into organized learning.
That’s where a paired reading passage + research project template shines: it scaffolds students into summarizing, defining key terms, and making connections, without the project ballooning out of control.
You can browse these paired sets here:
This is an easy way to turn reading day into reading + thinking + synthesis day.
Want to try this without spending anything first?
If you’d like to test the routine, grab a few free items and run the Science Text Cycle with your class:
A simple 4-week rollout plan (so it sticks)
Week 1: One passage + questions + exit ticket
Week 2: Add 4–6 vocabulary words and gist notes
Week 3: Add one CER paragraph
Week 4: Add a 10-minute mini-debate or claim-evidence discussion
After that, it’s just routine. Students improve because they practice. You keep your sanity because you’re not reinventing the process each time.
Final thought: science literacy is not a bonus, it’s the pathway
Students don’t just learn science, they learn science through language: reading explanations, interpreting data, evaluating claims, and writing conclusions. When you build a simple, repeatable science reading routine, you’re not adding extra. You’re strengthening everything you already teach.
If you want a practical, classroom-ready way to do that, start with:
a subject collection (like Biology Reading Passages or Chemistry Reading Passages),
or go big with a full library: Ultimate 209 Science Reading Passages & Questions.
Either way, the playbook stays the same. The only thing that changes is how many weeks you get to reuse it.
Thanks for reading
Cheers and stay curious
Oliver - The Teaching Astrophysicist
