New NWEA Research Report Highlights How Integrating Literacy and Science Instruction Accelerates Elementary Student Learning

The report offers actionable insights for district leaders to enhance learning outcomes by better integrating the two subjects.

PORTLAND, Ore., Feb. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- NWEA, a K-12 assessment and research organization, released a comprehensive analysis today documenting the benefits of integrated literacy and science instruction at the elementary level. The report, Integrating Literacy and Science: A Powerful Partnership for Student Success, reveals significant connections between the two subjects and highlights the benefits of blending instruction while providing research-based guidance on how to effectively do this.

Recent NAEP and TIMSS results highlight continued declines in reading and science achievement, underscoring the urgent need for innovative instructional methods. This new research report shows how combining these subjects creates rich, authentic learning environments that simultaneously enhance students' science understanding and literacy skills.

"There is strong evidence of the reinforcing factor between the two subjects," said Dr. Susan Kowalski, Lead Research Scientist at NWEA. "Neither subject takes a back seat. They mutually support each other, and integrating the two can drive incredible academic growth for students, more so than either subject could do alone."

The new research analysis provides four key components to the effective integration of literacy and science at the elementary level to drive greater academic growth.

1. Authenticity: Use relevant texts and real-world phenomena to support both subjects.
2. Rich academic vocabulary: Leverage specialized science language to enhance reading and writing across subjects.
3. Sustained, sequenced and structured instruction: Effective science instruction builds over time, with each lesson connecting to the next to help students develop understanding. This type of structure takes intentionality and support.
4. Engaging students in scientific discussions: Involve students in planning investigations, making hypotheses, and debating evidence to deepen their understanding of science concepts while reinforcing literacy skills.

Given the ongoing challenges U.S. students face in recovering from the pandemic's disruptions to learning, intentionally connecting science and literacy instruction may help address the gaps left behind by the COVID-19 years. This new research brief provides recommendations aimed at district leaders to support integration at their schools.

1. Look at your structure and resources: Integrating these two subjects might mean rethinking your master schedule, building time for collaboration and planning between literacy and science teachers (including school librarians), and ensuring students have access to phenomenon-based science materials that align with science concepts being taught.
2. Professional learning is a must: Effective integration requires targeted professional learning, including how to incorporate real-world science phenomena, leverage academic vocabulary, build structured instructional plans and sequences, and foster coordination between subjects to engage students.

To further highlight how science and literacy instruction can go hand-in-hand, NWEA researchers provided a new guide featuring examples of elementary classroom instructional approaches that leverage the blending of the two subjects.

Read the new research report: https://www.nwea.org/research/publication/integrating-literacy-and-science-a-powerful-partnership-for-student-success/

Read the new guide for practitioners: https://www.nwea.org/research/publication/practitioners-guide-to-integrating-literacy-and-science/

About NWEA

NWEA^® (a division of HMH) is a mission-driven organization that supports students and educators in more than 146 countries through research, assessment solutions, policy and advocacy, and professional learning that support our diverse educational communities. Visit NWEA.org to learn more about how we're partnering with educators to help all kids learn.

Contact: Simona Beattie, Communications Director, [email protected] or 971.361.9526

SOURCE NWEA