Too often, students enter our classrooms with insufficient knowledge of physical science. As a result, they have a difficult time understanding content in texts, lectures, and laboratory activities. This lack of background knowledge can have an impact on their ability to ask questions and wonder—both key components of inquiry. In this article, the authors demonstrate the impact that building background knowledge through wide reading can have on student achievement. They also identify a number of reasons why wide reading is not commonly used in the classroom and how to address those concerns.