Hands-on science activities help to make science more interesting for children and create that sense of wonder and excitement. But hands-on science and teacher lectures do not offer the full course meal. The textbook is often missing. As stated in the Common Core State Standards, students must have multiple opportunities to become independent in their ability to extract meaning from expository text in order to prepare for exams that will require them to read multiple sources to extract meaning, as well as develop arguments and opinions regarding information presented. The authors suggest that educators must seek ways to integrate pedagogy in efficient ways in order to help students master essential reading skills. In this article, the authors offer five steps schools can take to help students become independent, literate learners in content areas.