May Close Reading Passages for First Grade

Close reading strategies support first grade students in building vocabulary, increasing comprehension, and improving fluency. This set of May close reading passages includes eight texts (four fiction and four nonfiction), each accompanied by a five-day lesson plan for close reading instruction in first grade.

Students work with the May close reading passages by annotating key information, noticing new vocabulary, and responding to comprehension questions. Available in both print and digital formats for flexible classroom use.

Add these close reading passages and lesson plans to your reading block or guided reading groups. Each passage has a week of close lesson plans included.

May Close Reading Passages

8 passages organized by genre: 4 fiction, 4 nonfiction

Each passage includes:

• 5 days of close reading lessons
• Text annotation using close reading marks
• Vocabulary and retelling response activities
• Digital close reading passages on Google Slides

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WHAT’S INCLUDED

8 Close Reading Passages
4 Nonfiction and 4 Fiction Texts

Comprehension & Vocabulary Building Activities
Focused rereading for deeper understanding

40 Days of Close Reading Lessons
5-day lesson plan for each reading passage

Supports Science of Reading strategies
Reinforces vocabulary, text structure, and comprehension

Nonfiction Close Reading Passages

• Butterfly Life Cycle
• Fruit Salad
• Making Popsicles
• Beekeepers

Fiction Close Reading Passages

• Last Day of School
• Pool Party
• Summer Vacation
• Camping

Close Reading Strategies

• Students analyze word choice, sentence structure, and meaning
• Vocabulary response pages help students use vocabulary words in context
• Multiple rereading of the same passage builds fluency practice
• Graphic organizers guide retelling and writing extension activities

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What reading level are the reading passages?

The passages are meant to be a level more difficult than what your students read independently. This helps students build new vocabulary, analyze sentence structure, and build comprehension skills.

Close reading allows for multiple rereading of text. This repeated rereading teaches reading comprehension skills like finding text evidence and reading with expression.

Close Reading Set Also Includes:

• Close Reading Strategies
• What Is Close Reading?
• What Do I Need To Start?
• What Close Reading Tools Do We Need?
• Close Reading Marks
• Annotation Poster
• Vocabulary Response Page
• Retelling Graphic Organizer

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Science of Reading

This product emphasizes repeated reading, vocabulary development, and text-based comprehension with:

• Repeated Exposure to Text: Students read and engage with the same passage across multiple days, which supports fluency, decoding, and retention
• Text-Based Comprehension: The comprehension questions and discussion routines require students to return to the text and cite evidence
• Vocabulary Instruction: The vocabulary response page prompts students to define words, use them in context, and create a visual connection
• Annotation: Annotating a text helps students monitor their own understanding, ask questions, and identify important information

Standards: May Close Reading Passages

Reading: Literature (RL.1)
RL.1.1 – Ask and answer questions about key details in a text
RL.1.2 – Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson
RL.1.3 – Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details

Reading: Informational Text (RI.1)
RI.1.1 – Ask and answer questions about key details in a text
RI.1.2 – Identify the main topic and retell key details of a text
RI.1.4 – Ask and answer questions to help determine or clarify the meaning of words and phrases in a text

Reading: Foundational Skills (RF.1)
RF.1.4 – Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension

No-Prep and Easy to Use

• Ready-to-teach resource. Just print and teach, or assign digital close reading passages to Google Classroom
• Includes 5 days of lesson plans per passage (40 days total!)
• 8 weeks of lessons, you’ll never run out of reading passages
• Close reading strategies guide you through modeling a full reading unit

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