`Leading Literacy: The How, What and Why of Learning

Literacy is not just an "English" learning area problem. The Australian Curriculum lists literacy as a General Capability as follows:

"Literacy presents those aspects of the Language and Literacy strands of the Australian Curriculum: English that should also be applied in all other learning areas. Students learn literacy knowledge and skills as they engage with these strands of English. Literacy is not a separate component of the Australian Curriculum and does not contain new content.

While much of the explicit teaching of literacy occurs in the English learning area, literacy is strengthened, made specific and extended in other learning areas as students engage in a range of learning activities with significant literacy demands. Paying attention to the literacy demands of each learning area ensures that students’ literacy development is strengthened so that it supports subject-based learning. This means that:

• all teachers are responsible for teaching the subject-specific literacy of their learning area/s
• all teachers need a clear understanding of the literacy demands and opportunities of their learning area/s
• literacy appropriate to each learning area is embedded in the content descriptions and elaborations of the learning area and is identified using the literacy icon."

This icon shows where Literacy has been identified in learning area content descriptions and elaborations.

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iteracySource: ACARA http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/generalcapabilities/literacy/introduction/in-the-learning-areas