Let’s face it—our content areas shouldn’t be in competition. ELA and Social Studies have always shared common ground: reading, writing, speaking, listening, and thinking. But when we intentionally bring them together, the results can be transformative. Not only do we double down on skills, but we also amplify meaning, engagement, and—perhaps most importantly—retention.
This need for integration became clear through classroom observations. In many Social Studies lessons, students struggled to retain content and express their understanding in writing. At the same time, ELA classrooms revealed that students often lacked the background knowledge needed to engage with literature and had difficulty navigating complex informational texts. These patterns confirmed what research has long supported: when content and skills are taught in isolation, students often miss critical connections—and opportunities to deepen their understanding.
Research makes a strong case for integration. John Hattie’s meta-analysis tells us that repeated exposure to content—especially when spaced over time—can supercharge student achievement, with practice yielding an effect size of 0.71, well above the average year’s growth benchmark (Hattie, 2009). Doug Lemov calls it “Review It Again, and Again,” emphasizing the importance of revisiting content purposefully over time (Lemov, 2010). Cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham reminds us that practice makes permanent only when it’s meaningful and tied to long-term memory construction (Willingham, 2009). And Barak Rosenshine outlines how daily and weekly review supports retention and transfer—underscoring the lasting impact of consistent, purposeful repetition (Rosenshine, 2012).
So how do we make this magic happen—where literacy builds knowledge and knowledge strengthens literacy? Here’s a straightforward, high-impact process: Plan Big. Read Deep. Write Loud.
1. Plan Big – Make Integration Intentional
Big learning starts with big planning—and that means stepping outside of isolated content silos. The best integrated lessons begin with collaboration between ELA and Social Studies teachers. Co-planning creates opportunities to align standards, identify overlapping skills, and select texts that bring content to life from multiple angles.
What to do:
- Choose a bold, universal theme—freedom, resistance, power, identity, or change.
- Map out key standards from both content areas and find natural entry points for integration.
- Select high-impact texts: historical fiction, autobiographies, primary sources, and informational articles that serve multiple instructional goals.
- Build a shared pacing guide or calendar to ensure instruction is coordinated across classrooms and opportunities for reinforcement are maximized.
When teachers unite around shared themes, students benefit from cohesive instruction that reinforces skills and deepens content knowledge. Plus, you’re less likely to reteach the same ideas twice—because students are hearing them in both classrooms.
Big planning creates big connections.
2. Read Deep – Teach Strategy Through Content
Before students can think critically about history or literature, they need strong reading strategies to guide them. Integrated lessons are the perfect place to model and practice those strategies using rich, relevant content.
How to go deeper:
- Embed comprehension strategies that align with your instructional purpose and support students in analyzing complex texts. Whether students are uncovering an author’s perspective or exploring historical context, strategy instruction should be directly tied to the thinking required by the task.
- Use real-world examples like speeches, letters, articles, or court opinions to help students tackle complex texts with clarity.
- Encourage annotation, questioning, and discussion as students explore multiple perspectives and historical contexts.
- Reinforce academic vocabulary and domain-specific language in both Social Studies and ELA to help students access and articulate complex ideas.
By anchoring literacy instruction in meaningful content, students see reading as a tool—not just a task. And they develop the critical thinking skills they need for both the ELA assessment and their understanding of the world.
Deep reading builds confident thinkers.
3. Write Loud – Let Students Process Through Writing
Writing is where students synthesize what they’ve read, reflect on big ideas, and express their understanding. When writing is integrated across content areas, students have more opportunities to develop their voice, deepen their thinking, and apply what they’ve learned in meaningful ways.
How to write louder (and smarter):
- Start small with low-stakes writing—quick writes, journal reflections, exit slips, or informal responses to primary sources. These assignments lower the pressure while boosting participation and helping students think on paper.
- Ask students to take a position: Was the New Deal effective? Did this movement achieve its goal? Use evidence from both fiction and nonfiction sources to support their claims.
- Encourage creativity through narrative tasks: diary entries, historical fiction scenes, or character monologues grounded in research.
- Push students to connect ideas across texts: use text sets to compose synthesis essays or multimedia responses to essential questions.
Whether students are jotting down informal reflections or crafting polished arguments, writing helps them clarify and retain what they know. And when writing becomes a regular habit—not just a high-stakes event—students grow more confident and expressive across disciplines.
Writing loud means thinking big—and thinking often.
Let’s Recap: Plan Big. Read Deep. Write Loud.
This practical, teacher-friendly process supports meaningful cross-curricular instruction that leads to lasting learning:
1. Plan Big – Collaborate to design intentional, theme-based instruction
2. Read Deep – Teach reading strategies using rich Social Studies content
3. Write Loud – Let students process and apply their learning through writing
Whether you’re in elementary, middle, or high school, this approach helps students see the why behind the what—and brings the past to life through literacy. Ready to get started? Let’s plan big, read deep, and write loud—one lesson at a time.
References
Hattie, J. (2009). Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement. Routledge.
Lemov, D. (2010). Teach Like a Champion. Jossey-Bass.
Rosenshine, B. (2012). Principles of Instruction. American Educator.
Willingham, D. T. (2009). Why Don’t Students Like School? Jossey-Bass.
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Regina Willingham, Ed.S., serves as the Secondary English Language Arts Coordinator for Clayton County Public Schools in Georgia. With over 20 years of experience in literacy leadership, curriculum development, and instructional coaching, she is committed to supporting teachers and strengthening cross-curricular instruction. Regina’s mission is to build engaging, research-based learning experiences that deepen student thinking and bring literacy to life—across every content area.
Thanks, Regina. Integrating ELA and Social Studies deepens understanding schools should adopt this strategy widely.
Collaboration should be baked into both curriculums as simple ingredients mixed perfectly to ensure the students are familiar with the subject matter as each scaffolded lesson reveals itself. This increases the student’s interest and confidence.