This study describes a second-grade science curriculum designed to individualize student instruction (ISI-Science) so that students, regardless of initial science and literacy skills, gain science knowledge and reading skills. ISI-Science relies on the 5-E Learning Cycle as a framework and incorporates flexible, homogeneous, literacy skills-based grouping, use of leveled science text, and explicit use of discussion and comprehension strategies. We describe the first unit of the curriculum, "Why Is Soil Important?," and the results of our pretest-posttest study. Results show that students made significant gains in literacy and science learning. Plus, students with weaker science and literacy skills made the same gains, on average, as students with stronger skills. How these strategies might be implemented for other science topics is discussed. (Contains 2 tables and 4 figures.)