1. What the Research Says...
This module introduces elementary educators with research illustrating the importance of teaching social studies in the elementary classroom in terms of reading scores. Th study, completed in 2019 is entitled, Social Studies Instruction and Reading Comprehension: Evidence from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study. The study finds that social studies instruction in elementary school improves student's reading scores! Here are the 2 key points from the study:
- Increased instructional time in social studies—but not in ELA—is associated with improved reading ability.
- The students who benefit the most from additional social studies time are girls and those from lower-income and/or non-English-speaking homes.
To read the study, visit the Fordham Foundation website at: https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/resources/social-studies-instruction-and-reading-comprehension