Does Cultivating Content Knowledge during Literacy Instruction Support Vocabulary and Comprehension in the Elementary School Years? A Systematic Review

Abstract

This systematic review examined whether building content knowledge in science and/or social studies topics during English Language Arts (ELA) instruction enhances vocabulary and comprehension. It also described how ELA instruction has been leveraged to build content knowledge in the elementary years. A systematic search of the extant literature identified eight (quasi)experimental studies. Five of the eight studies met standards of research quality for validating causal inferences. The results of the meta-analysis of the five studies showed that supporting content knowledge in ELA strengthened vocabulary related to content being taught (effect size g = .29). The average effect size for comprehension was positive and significant when standardized comprehension measures and researcher-developed comprehension measures were considered together (g = .24). In addition, we found common and different patterns of content-rich ELA instruction regarding the use of texts, reading, writing, discussion, and/or hands-on activities.

Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. Thomas G. White, Xiaoning Natalie Wang, and Sen Wang for their contributions to this study. Author elects to not share data.

Disclosure statement

The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of the Institute or the U.S. Department of Education.

Additional information

Funding

The research reported here was supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through Grant R305A170635 awarded to Florida State University (PI: Cabell).