Research supporting the importance of science (and social studies) in elementary school.
Video Presentation by Dr. Nell Duke: “Relationship between Science and Literacy. Implications for Policy.”
Selected research cited in the Dr. Duke video:
3rd grade reading comprehension is correlated with stronger science knowledge in English learners: Content Counts and Motivation Matters: Reading Comprehension in Third-Grade Students Who Are English Learners. Hwang & Duke (2020) full text available
This study found students receiving literacy instruction that was situated in science did better than literacy instruction alone. Increasing Reading Comprehension and Engagement Through Concept-Oriented Reading Instruction. Gutherie et. al (2004) paywall
This article contains the “cricket” passage cited in the presentation: Learning to Learn from Text: A Framework for Improving Classroom Practice. Reading Education Report No. 30 Tierney and Pearson (1981) full text available, although older and font is challenging to read.
Elementary Education has Gone Horribly Wrong. The Atlantic
A classic study showing the importance of content knowledge on reading ability. Effect of Prior Knowledge on Good and Poor Readers' Memory of Text. Recht & Leslie (1988)
“If students lack the knowledge and vocabulary to understand the passages on reading tests, they won’t have an opportunity to demonstrate their skill in making inferences or finding the main idea.”