“We don’t have time for social studies.”
If you’ve been in education for any length of time, you’ve probably heard that phrase or maybe you’ve even said it yourself. With the demands of literacy, numeracy, testing, interventions, and everything else competing for instructional minutes, it’s understandable why social studies sometimes gets pushed to the side. The irony in this is that the very subject we often sacrifice may be one of the best tools we have for strengthening everything else.
It took me years to realize that.
As an elementary student, social studies wasn’t my favorite subject. I thought it was about memorizing dates, names, and places so I could pass a test. I never really understood why it mattered, and honestly, I didn’t see myself in it.
Then, I became an elementary teacher and everything changed.
I discovered that social studies wasn’t really about history. It was about people. It was about communities, choices, cultures, problem-solving, and understanding how the world works. More importantly, I realized that when social studies was taught well, my students didn’t just learn facts; they learned to ask better questions, communicate their ideas, and connect what they were learning to their own lives.
Today, as someone who supports educators across schools and districts, I’ve become convinced of one thing: Social studies isn’t an extra. It’s one of the strongest foundations we can build for student success.
Social Studies Builds More Than Content Knowledge
One of the biggest misconceptions about social studies is that it’s separate from literacy. In reality, the two work hand in hand. More accurately, social studies IS literacy.
Think about it this way: students can’t fully understand what they read if they don’t have background knowledge about the topic. When students learn about geography, government, economics, history, and cultures, they gain the knowledge that helps reading comprehension come alive.
Imagine asking students to read a passage about voting without understanding citizenship. Or what about expecting them to analyze an article about immigration without any knowledge of maps, countries, or historical events.
Reading comprehension isn’t just about decoding words. It’s also about understanding ideas.
That’s where social studies shines.
Research has consistently shown that students who receive more social studies instruction often demonstrate stronger growth in reading achievement because they’re building the knowledge and vocabulary that support comprehension.
In other words, social studies doesn’t compete with literacy, it strengthens it.
Small Changes Can Make a Big Difference
One of the most common questions I hear from teachers is, “How do I fit social studies into an already packed schedule?” My answer usually surprises them. I say, “Don’t think bigger. Think smarter.” Some of the most meaningful social studies learning I’ve seen didn’t require an hour-long lesson or an elaborate project. Instead, it came from small instructional routines that were used consistently.
For example:
- Begin the week with a quick map challenge.
- Analyze one historical photograph using “I See, I Think, I Wonder.”
- Connect vocabulary instruction to historical events or civic concepts.
- End a lesson by asking students, “Why does this matter today?”
These routines take only a few minutes, but over time they help students become more curious, more observant, and more thoughtful about the world around them. These are just small strategies to support making social studies visible, but integrating social studies and ELA is the key. The research that supports the integration of content is endless and the benefits are quite clear.
Integration Doesn’t Mean Hiding Social Studies
As schools continue to focus on literacy, integration has become a popular strategy. But integration doesn’t mean squeezing social studies into an ELA lesson and hoping no one notices.
Instead, social studies should provide the meaningful content students are reading, discussing, writing about, and analyzing.
Rather than asking students to identify the main idea in a random passage, why not have them determine the main idea of an article about the Civil Rights Movement?
Instead of practicing opinion writing with a generic prompt, ask students whether a historical figure made the right decision based on evidence from multiple sources.
These simple shifts still require students to practice literacy skills. They’re simply practicing with content that helps them understand the world. That is authentic integration.
Give Students Opportunities to Think Like Historians
My favorite moments in a classroom arent when students answer my questions; it’s when they start asking their own. Social studies naturally invites curiosity. “Why did people make that decision?” “What would I have done?” “Was that fair?” “How did this change the future?”
Those kinds of questions encourage students to analyze evidence, consider multiple perspectives, and support their thinking—all skills that transfer well beyond the social studies classroom.
When we shift from simply delivering information to inviting investigation, students become active participants in learning instead of passive receivers of facts.
Advocacy Starts in Our Own Classrooms
Advocating for social studies doesn’t always require a district initiative or a new curriculum.
Sometimes advocacy begins with one teacher making one intentional choice.
It looks like choosing a primary source instead of another worksheet.
It looks like allowing students to debate respectfully.
It looks like helping students connect the past to current events.
It looks like making social studies visible every week, even if only for a few intentional moments.
Those small choices communicate something powerful:
This subject matters.
A Final Thought
Over the years, I’ve stopped asking, “How can I find more time for social studies?”
Instead, I ask a different question:
“How can social studies make the time I already have more meaningful?”
I’ve found that when students discuss historical events, analyze maps, evaluate evidence, explore different perspectives, and connect learning to their own communities, they’re doing far more than learning social studies.
They’re becoming stronger readers.
More thoughtful communicators.
Better problem-solvers.
More informed citizens.
And perhaps most importantly, they’re learning that their voices and their actions can make a difference.
Because in the end, social studies isn’t just about understanding the past.
It’s about preparing students to shape the future.
Monique Swinger is the Coordinator of Elementary Social Studies for Clayton County Public Schools, where she leads curriculum development, professional learning, and instructional initiatives that strengthen teaching and learning across the district. With experience as a classroom teacher, academic coach, and district leader, she is passionate about equipping educators with practical, high-impact strategies that promote literacy, inquiry, and civic engagement in elementary classrooms. Monique holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Early Childhood Education, a leadership certification, and an Education Specialist degree in Educational Leadership, and is committed to advancing excellence in social studies education through collaboration, innovation, and educator empowerment.