Integrating content-area and literacy instruction in primary-grade classrooms creates authentic and engaging opportunities for students to build background knowledge and literacy skills. Furthermore, when students engage in meaningful dialogue about content-area topics they can discuss complex ideas and use content-specific vocabulary. These authentic conversations, combined with hands-on experiences and children's literature, build a strong foundation for students to become successful readers and writers. Existing and current literature highlights knowledge building and its impacts on literacy achievement, often supported through integrated instruction. The subsequent experiences in a first-grade classroom confirm this impact, yielding promising results. However, there continues to be a need for more research and professional development opportunities to ensure equitable, accessible, and effective implementation for all learners.