TEKS-Aligned Spanish Curricula for Emergent Bilinguals
Texas has 1.3 million emergent bilingual students. Social studies can help these students build academic language while learning grade-level content.
Studies Weekly Texas Social Studies is aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, or TEKS. It also supports English language development with ELAR-aligned literacy activities and TELPAS practice.
With Studies Weekly, teachers can support:
TEKS-aligned social studies instruction
Spanish and English learning materials
Reading, writing, listening, and speaking practice
Grade-level content for emergent bilingual students
Teaching Content and Language Standards Together
Social studies gives students a real reason to read, write, listen, and speak. It also helps them build academic vocabulary.
In Studies Weekly Texas Social Studies, students use English and Spanish materials to:
Analyze primary sources
Identify causes and effects
Compare perspectives
Gather evidence
Make arguments
Participate in academic discussions
These activities help students learn social studies while building language skills in both English and Spanish.
TEKS-Aligned Studies Weekly Social Studies
Studies Weekly begins with the Texas standards and reflects the approach, topics, and unit organization of those standards.
Studies Weekly supports the major social studies strands, including:
History
Geography
Economics
Government
Citizenship
Culture
Science, technology, and society
Social studies skills
Standards correlations in the Teacher Edition help teachers track TEKS coverage.
Literacy Integration and TELPAS Practice in Studies Weekly
Each Studies Weekly Texas Social Studies unit includes clear, student-friendly tasks that build language skills. Students read, write, listen, and speak as they prepare for TELPAS.
Studies Weekly’s Texas Social Studies includes activities that support development across the four TELPAS language domains:
1. Reading
Students read grade-level nonfiction and learn key subject terms with built-in support. Short sections, bolded terms, and review questions help students understand the text.
2. Writing
Students can practice writing by answering prompts in their print editions or interactive notebooks. Activities include short-answer arguments, discussion questions, sentence frames, and drawings.
The Studies Weekly Online platform also gives students opportunities to type answers to writing prompts.
3. Listening
The Studies Weekly Teacher Edition provides strategies to build listening skills. Teachers can pre-teach vocabulary and ask students to listen for familiar words during the lesson. Students can also listen to an introductory video on Studies Weekly Online.
Studies Weekly Online also comes with a built-in audio reader, so students can follow along as articles are read aloud.
4. Speaking
Whole-group discussions, turn-and-talk activities, and presentations help students practice speaking. Students use content vocabulary to compare, contrast, argue, and explain historical events. This builds language skills and confidence.
Studies Weekly aligns instruction to the TEKS and integrates ELA. It also includes activities that build skills assessed on the TELPAS. Together, these supports help emergent bilingual students grow academically and improve their language skills.
When language learners have access to quality content and language support, they gain confidence, participate more actively, and learn better.
Contact us to learn how Studies Weekly’s Texas Social Studies can support emergent bilinguals in your school or district.
“Studies Weekly is a great resource for my Bilingual Department! My students love having both the English and Spanish versions to work out of. They are so fun and engaging. There are so many additional resources that are provided to support my teachers!” – Bilingual Director, TX
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Studies Weekly blends social studies with language lessons for emergent bilingual students. Side-by-side English and Spanish resources follow the TEKS and include ELA support. Students study sources, share ideas, and write about social studies.
Yes. Studies Weekly provides Spanish and English social studies materials for Texas classrooms. These resources help teachers support bilingual and dual-language instruction while staying aligned to the TEKS.
Yes. Studies Weekly’s Spanish and English materials are designed to work well in bilingual and dual-language programs. Side-by-side resources allow teachers to support students in both languages while maintaining a strong focus on grade-level social studies learning
Studies Weekly builds language practice into each lesson. Students discuss ideas, read supported nonfiction, and complete writing tasks. They explain ideas, compare views, and use key terms while learning social studies.
Texas schools choose Studies Weekly for its TEKS-aligned lessons and print and online resources. The program also supports a wide range of learners, including emergent bilingual students. Its flexible tools help teachers lead meaningful social studies lessons in many classroom settings.