Reading may be initially the most important subject along with Math, but get your heads out of the sand. Science is an important subject. It should only provide fodder for reading is a scary idea.
Science has a tremendous amount of problem solving and organizational skills associated with it.
By third grade students know whether they like science or not. Many elementary teachers have little knowledge in science. They say it wasn't my favorite subject. It creates a lot of anxiety for me. Thank you for your very informative opinion.