Coherent history curriculum is chronological. That’s the conclusion of April Croyand Michelle Palmieri, former English language arts curriculum writers now developing a new social studies curriculum, Tapestry. The sisters, who co-founded Lumina Learning, explain their thinking in an engaging conversation with hostEbony McKiveron this episode of the History Matters Podcast.
The conversation explores how research on the science of reading has shaped their approach to history instruction, in which students build durable background knowledge and vocabulary over time. April and Michelle explain that literacy and history are inseparable because students develop reading, writing, vocabulary, and critical thinking through meaningful historical content.
They emphasize that students need a strong foundation of knowledge so they can ask rich questions, analyze evidence, or engage in authentic inquiry, making content and inquiry complementary rather than competing priorities. High-quality texts, close reading, thoughtful discussion, and authentic writing tasks allow students to strengthen literacy while learning to think like historians. April and Michelle also stress the importance of carefully selected historical sources, purposeful text sets, and opportunities for curiosity-driven inquiry.
Ultimately, they call on schools to protect dedicated time for elementary social studies. They argue that consistent, content-rich history instruction not only strengthens reading comprehension but also prepares students to understand the past, make sense of the present, and become informed, engaged adults.
This podcast is produced by Knowledge Matters on behalf of the History Matters Campaign. Follow Knowledge Matters on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter/X. Search #historymatters to join the conversation.
Production by Tressa Versteeg. Original music and sound engineering by Aidan Shea.
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