Teaching Literacy
A growing body of research substantiates a solid connection between social studies education and literacy, particularly in the elementary grades. In short, students must have contextual knowledge in order to authentically practice reading comprehension and literacy skills.
The Science of Reading is a teaching approach supported by the NH Department of Education and gaining ground in New Hampshire schools. It is based on the idea of structured literacy and has five components:
- phonemic awareness
- phonics
- fluency
- vocabulary
- comprehension
Components 4 and 5 have a direct relationship to social studies through the development of background knowledge. Building students' understanding of the world through content-rich texts and activities supports comprehension. In addition, the integration of culturally relevant sources and experiences helps students connect their studies to their own experiences. They are able to see themselves in what they’re reading and writing. The goal ultimately is reading comprehension—or the students’ ability to make meaning from words—which is precisely what social studies does.
Social studies has value in its own right, and every school should teach social studies for its own sake during dedicated time. But it also plays a crucial role in helping students become proficient readers and writers.
The “Moose on the Loose” is essentially an ELA curriculum wrapped in social studies material. It deliberately promotes a content-based approach that builds students’ background knowledge and provides opportunities to practice their ELA skills while learning the stories of people and places in the world around us.
The material in this section of the Moose provides some general direction about working with content-based material such as found in the Learn It! sections of each Moose unit. It also shows how one of the leading literacy programs in the state, Amplify, aligns with the Moose in the elementary grades to promote the cultivation of background knowledge and literacy.