The CLOSE Reading Strategy (23 X 28 wall poster) is a metacognitive instructional procedure that uses the word close as an acronym and provides educators and students with a brain friendly step by step guide to conducting a close read of complex text.  The role of vocabulary and the strategies for determining the meanings of unknown words are foundational to the skill of conducting a close read and a priority in the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP); College and Career Ready Standards and the Redesigned PSAT/SAT.  If students are expected to read at high levels of text complexity, they must develop word consciousness, the skill of inferring and problem solving strategies.