Build A Personal Skill From History
THU-MAIC/OpenMAIC
Derives a reusable personal skill for course-making from a representative sample of the user's own past classrooms and chat history, confirmed with them before saving.
Build students' capacity to read historical documents closely — attending to word choice, tone, and rhetoric as evidence of perspective.
Install Close Reading Skill Builder
$ npx skills add GarethManning/education-agent-skills --skill close-reading-skill-builder -a claude-codeProject install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.
$ gh skill install GarethManning/education-agent-skills close-reading-skill-builder --agent claude-codeProject scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/GarethManning/education-agent-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/historical-thinking/close-reading-skill-builder .claude/skills/close-reading-skill-builder && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.
Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/
Install the "close-reading-skill-builder" agent skill from https://github.com/GarethManning/education-agent-skills/tree/main/skills/historical-thinking/close-reading-skill-builder into .claude/skills/close-reading-skill-builder/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "close-reading-skill-builder", then confirm the skill loads.Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$skill-installer install https://github.com/GarethManning/education-agent-skills/tree/main/skills/historical-thinking/close-reading-skill-builderType this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.
$ npx skills add GarethManning/education-agent-skills --skill close-reading-skill-builder -a codexProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.
$ gh skill install GarethManning/education-agent-skills close-reading-skill-builder --agent codexProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/GarethManning/education-agent-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/historical-thinking/close-reading-skill-builder .agents/skills/close-reading-skill-builder && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.
Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/
Install the "close-reading-skill-builder" agent skill from https://github.com/GarethManning/education-agent-skills/tree/main/skills/historical-thinking/close-reading-skill-builder into .agents/skills/close-reading-skill-builder/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "close-reading-skill-builder", then confirm the skill loads.Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add GarethManning/education-agent-skills --skill close-reading-skill-builder -a cursorProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.
$ gh skill install GarethManning/education-agent-skills close-reading-skill-builder --agent cursorProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/GarethManning/education-agent-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/historical-thinking/close-reading-skill-builder .cursor/skills/close-reading-skill-builder && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.
Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/
Install the "close-reading-skill-builder" agent skill from https://github.com/GarethManning/education-agent-skills/tree/main/skills/historical-thinking/close-reading-skill-builder into .cursor/skills/close-reading-skill-builder/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "close-reading-skill-builder", then confirm the skill loads.Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gemini skills install https://github.com/GarethManning/education-agent-skills.git --path skills/historical-thinking/close-reading-skill-builder--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.
$ npx skills add GarethManning/education-agent-skills --skill close-reading-skill-builder -a gemini-cliProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.
$ gh skill install GarethManning/education-agent-skills close-reading-skill-builder --agent gemini-cliProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/GarethManning/education-agent-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/historical-thinking/close-reading-skill-builder .gemini/skills/close-reading-skill-builder && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.
Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "close-reading-skill-builder" agent skill from https://github.com/GarethManning/education-agent-skills/tree/main/skills/historical-thinking/close-reading-skill-builder into .gemini/skills/close-reading-skill-builder/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "close-reading-skill-builder", then confirm the skill loads.Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gh skill install GarethManning/education-agent-skills close-reading-skill-builderInstalls for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ npx skills add GarethManning/education-agent-skills --skill close-reading-skill-builder -a github-copilotProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/GarethManning/education-agent-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/historical-thinking/close-reading-skill-builder .github/skills/close-reading-skill-builder && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.
GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "close-reading-skill-builder" agent skill from https://github.com/GarethManning/education-agent-skills/tree/main/skills/historical-thinking/close-reading-skill-builder into .github/skills/close-reading-skill-builder/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "close-reading-skill-builder", then confirm the skill loads.GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add GarethManning/education-agent-skills --skill close-reading-skill-builder -a opencodeOpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.
$ gh skill install GarethManning/education-agent-skills close-reading-skill-builder --agent opencodeProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/GarethManning/education-agent-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/historical-thinking/close-reading-skill-builder .opencode/skills/close-reading-skill-builder && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.
OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "close-reading-skill-builder" agent skill from https://github.com/GarethManning/education-agent-skills/tree/main/skills/historical-thinking/close-reading-skill-builder into .opencode/skills/close-reading-skill-builder/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "close-reading-skill-builder", then confirm the skill loads.OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
Facts
- Skill name
close-reading-skill-builder- GitHub stars
- 835
- Token cost
- ~6.5k tokens
- SKILL.md length
- 2,361 words
- Files
- 1
- Skills in repo
- 142
- Repo updated
- First seen
- Licence
- Custom licence
At a glance
Build students' capacity to read historical documents closely — attending to word choice, tone, and rhetoric as evidence of perspective.
- Works in 4 steps: What words does the author use to… → What does the author claim happened, and… → What does the author NOT say that you… → …
- Students summarise sources without analysing language
- SKILL.md covers What This Skill Does, Evidence Foundation, Input Schema and Prompt, plus 3 more sections
- Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md
What it does
Close Reading Skill Builder is an agent skill from GarethManning/education-agent-skills. Build students' capacity to read historical documents closely — attending to word choice, tone, and rhetoric as evidence of perspective. Use when students summarise sources without analysing language.
Its SKILL.md is about 6.5k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.
It sits in Agent Workflows, covering Skill authoring. The repository describes itself as: 165 evidence-grounded AI skills for teachers, school leaders and EdTech builders—pedagogy, learning science, curriculum, assessment and regeneration. Claude, Codex and Hermes.
When your agent uses it
- Students summarise sources without analysing language
- Tasks that involve Skill authoring
Example prompts
- “/close-reading-skill-builder”
Workflow steps
4 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.
- What words does the author use to describe people or groups, and what attitude do those words convey?
- What does the author claim happened, and what evidence do they offer for the claim?
- What does the author NOT say that you would expect them to say?
- How would this passage read differently if someone with a different perspective had written it?
What it can do on your machine
Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 6bbbce4. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.
Tool permissions
Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.
From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Runs code
No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md.
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
No URLs in SKILL.md.
From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.
Credentials
Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.
From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.
Context cost
Close Reading Skill Builder loads about 6.5k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 57 tokens; SKILL.md has 2,361 words of instructions outside code blocks.
Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.
Safety
Auto-check passed
The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.
Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.
SKILL.md
Its licence (Custom licence) doesn't allow us to republish the file, so here is its outline and opening line. It has 2,361 words (~6,453 tokens).
“Designs targeted instruction to develop students' close reading of historical documents — the practice of attending to an author's word choice, claims, evidence, tone, and rhetorical strategies to assess argument, perspective, and probity. The output includes a developmental progression, an…”
- name
- close-reading-skill-builder
- disable-model-invocation
- false
- user-invocable
- true
- effort
- medium
- skill_id
- historical-thinking/close-reading-skill-builder
- skill_name
- Close Reading Skill Builder
- domain
- historical-thinking
- version
- 1.0
- contributor
- Sean Hu
- evidence_strength
- strong
- evidence_sources
- Wineburg (1991) — Historical problem solving: cognitive processes in the evaluation of documentary and pictorial evidence, Wineburg (1998) — Reading Abraham…
Files
Just SKILL.md in skills/historical-thinking/close-reading-skill-builder of GarethManning/education-agent-skills.
Open the folder on GitHubat commit 6bbbce4
Compare with similar skills
Close Reading Skill Builder next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.
| Skill | Stars | Used in | Tokens | Auto-check | Licence | Repo updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Close Reading Skill Builder this skillGarethManning/education-agent-skills | 835 | — | ~6.5k | Automated safety check: Pass | Custom licence | |
| Build A Personal Skill From HistoryTHU-MAIC/OpenMAIC | 40k | — | ~678 | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Skill CreatorAzure/azqr | 795 | 89 repos | ~8.2k | Automated safety check: Pass | Apache-2.0 | |
| Claude Code Skill Developer Guidediet103/claude-code-infrastructure-showcase | 10k | 11 repos | ~3.5k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Nuwa Thinking-Style Skill Builderalchaincyf/nuwa-skill | 34k | — | ~4.6k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Darwin Skill Optimizeralchaincyf/darwin-skill | 6.2k | 1 repos | ~4.7k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT |
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Claude Code Skill Developer Guide
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Researches a person or theme and distills how they think into a runnable persona skill with mental models, decision rules and a characteristic voice.
Darwin Skill Optimizer
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Scores SKILL.md files on a nine-dimension rubric, then improves them in a keep-or-revert loop with independent judge agents, test prompts, git history and human checkpoints.
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Categories
Questions about Close Reading Skill Builder
What does Close Reading Skill Builder do?
Build students' capacity to read historical documents closely — attending to word choice, tone, and rhetoric as evidence of perspective. Close Reading Skill Builder is an agent skill from GarethManning/education-agent-skills. Build students' capacity to read historical documents closely — attending to word choice, tone, and rhetoric as evidence of perspective.
When should I use Close Reading Skill Builder?
Close Reading Skill Builder fits situations like: students summarise sources without analysing language; tasks that involve Skill authoring.
How do I install Close Reading Skill Builder in Claude Code?
Run `npx skills add GarethManning/education-agent-skills --skill close-reading-skill-builder -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/historical-thinking/close-reading-skill-builder in GarethManning/education-agent-skills) into .claude/skills/close-reading-skill-builder in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.
How do I install Close Reading Skill Builder in Codex?
Run `npx skills add GarethManning/education-agent-skills --skill close-reading-skill-builder -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/historical-thinking/close-reading-skill-builder in GarethManning/education-agent-skills) into .agents/skills/close-reading-skill-builder in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.
Can I use Close Reading Skill Builder in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?
Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add GarethManning/education-agent-skills --skill close-reading-skill-builder -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/close-reading-skill-builder, .gemini/skills/close-reading-skill-builder, .github/skills/close-reading-skill-builder and .opencode/skills/close-reading-skill-builder in your project.
What does Close Reading Skill Builder need to run?
SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Close Reading Skill Builder is instructions for the agent only.
Does Close Reading Skill Builder access the network?
SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.
Is Close Reading Skill Builder safe to install?
Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.
What licence does Close Reading Skill Builder use?
Close Reading Skill Builder has a licence file (the repository's licence) that doesn't match a standard licence. Read it on GitHub before reusing the skill.
How many tokens does Close Reading Skill Builder use?
About 6.5k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 26k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.
What are the alternatives to Close Reading Skill Builder?
Skills that share tags, products or a category with Close Reading Skill Builder: Build A Personal Skill From History (THU-MAIC/OpenMAIC, 40k stars), Skill Creator (Azure/azqr, 795 stars), Claude Code Skill Developer Guide (diet103/claude-code-infrastructure-showcase, 10k stars) and Nuwa Thinking-Style Skill Builder (alchaincyf/nuwa-skill, 34k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.
Who maintains Close Reading Skill Builder?
GarethManning (a GitHub user) maintains it in GarethManning/education-agent-skills, which has 835 GitHub stars. The repository holds 142 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on August 28, 2026.
Source: GarethManning/education-agent-skills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.