2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Background. This fundamental research paper explores integrated computer science (CS) instruction. One promising approach to expanding access to CS is to integrate CS into other content areas. Integration may be particularly appropriate for the earliest grades, where it is difficult for schools to carve out the time and resources to support a new content focus. Thus, recent years have seen efforts to integrate CS into other subjects in early elementary school, with an increasing body of research exploring these attempts to interweave content areas. While math and science are more common avenues for CS inclusion, some efforts to integrate CS into English Language Arts (ELA) instruction offer preliminary evidence of success.

Research Questions. This paper explores two research questions related to CS+ELA integration for grades K-2: (1) What is known about integrating CS and ELA (i.e., standards, curriculum, pedagogy, student outcomes)? and (2) What are promising ways to integrate CS and ELA?

Methodology. To answer the first research question, we conducted a systematic literature review using the SALSA approach. To answer the second research question, we used the findings from RQ1 to map (including many-to-many mapping) the K-5 CS standards for Louisiana to the state’s first grade ELA standards. We also identify which mapped ELA and CS standards present the most potential for serving as the basis for bridging CS and ELA instruction.

Findings. From the systematic review, we identified promising avenues for embedding CS within ELA instruction. For example, some studies explore how integrated instruction might focus on programming in the service of storytelling. Others leverage the idea that programming languages share conceptual features with natural languages and both permit students to exercise creativity and to communicate. We identified five CS concepts (using data, analyzing data, creating and using algorithms, applying decomposition, and describing programming choices) with a high potential for integrated instruction. For example, one CS standard focuses on decomposing a problem into subproblems (E.AP.3A), and two ELA standards focus on beginning readers’ decoding of words (RF.1.3b., RF.1.3c.); these require similar pattern recognition and decomposition skills and therefore may be easier to teach in an integrated manner than more divergent skills.

Implications. Our results provide a useful starting point for future efforts to integrate CS with ELA for young learners and highlight promising avenues for continued research.

AI Use in This Study. AI was used to support creating code to generate data visualizations.