Why Schools Should Put Social Studies on Par with Math and English

In a world that shifts from one headline to the next, social studies helps students sort facts, ask tough questions, and learn what citizenship looks like. Yet, many U.S. middle and high schools still prioritize reading, writing, and math over history and civics, shortchanging them in terms of time, resources, and teacher training. That hierarchy undercuts a key goal of public schooling: shaping young people who think critically, respect difference, and step into democracy with their eyes open.

Social studies, historical events, civic processes, maps, market principles, and social habits equip learners with the tools to see how decisions made on the other side of the globe can impact their neighborhood. The National Council for the Social Studies succinctly sums up this duty, stating that the field aims to guide youth in making informed, reasoned choices for the common good in a diverse, democratic, and interlinked world (NCSS, 2013, p. 3). Ignoring that mission by placing social studies at the end of the daily schedule makes success all but impossible.

Though language arts builds the reading and speaking habits students need, social studies gives those habits a real-world home. When learners read historical passages, examine old documents, and debate public issues, they practice the comprehension, argument-building, and synthesis skills highlighted in ELA standards. Wineburg (2001) noted that studying the past trains students to weigh conflicting stories and identify bias, which sharpens their reading and critical-thinking skills. Thus, social studies does not replace the work of language arts; it stretches and enriches those same skills.

Focusing on literacy does not have to shortchange subject matter. On the contrary, studies reveal that reading skills improve when students learn dense, knowledge-rich topics such as history or civics. For example, a 2020 report from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute showed that pupils given more social studies hours outperformed peers granted extra English-Language-Arts time alone (Tyner & Kabourek, 2020). Increased background knowledge fuels comprehension because readers use what they already know to decode unfamiliar passages. By trimming social studies in favor of longer English Language Arts (ELA) blocks, schools may unintentionally slow students' reading growth and curtail their ability to think critically.

Perhaps most importantly, social studies remains the only subject that sets aside time to teach civic literacy on purpose. Because young adults vote less frequently than other age groups and because misinformation floods social media, students need to learn how their government operates, how to identify reliable sources, and how to participate in community life in productive ways. Middle and high school learners already wrestle with tough questions, online and at home, about racial justice, climate change, and growing inequality. Social studies provides them with the language, context, and practice necessary to unpack those problems, consider rival viewpoints, and act in ways that matter.

In short, social studies is not a bonus course; it is vital. It helps grow sharp thinkers, well-informed readers, and engages the same aims that language arts classrooms pursue. Instead of cutting social studies time in the name of stronger literacy, teachers and leaders should embrace the teamwork these subjects offer. Social studies deserves the same spotlight as language arts in a curriculum that prizes civic health as much as test scores.

References

National Council for the Social Studies. (2013). “College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards: Guidance for Enhancing the Rigor of K-12 Civics, Economics, Geography, and History.” Retrieved from https://www.socialstudies.org/standards/c3](https://www.socialstudies.org/standards/c3.

Tyner, A., & Kabourek, S. (2020). “How Social Studies Improves Reading Comprehension.” Thomas B. Fordham Institute. Retrieved from https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/how-social-studies-improves-reading-comprehension

Wineburg, S. (2001). “Historical Thinking and Other Unnatural Acts: Charting the Future of Teaching the Past.” Philadelphia: Temple University Press.