Whole school
In a school, the benefits of the progressions are maximised where there is a whole-school, systematic approach to literacy and numeracy development that ensures:
- opportunities for professional dialogue and collaboration to strengthen teacher understandings of literacy and numeracy development
- a shared understanding of the progressions
- expertise and processes to locate the literacy and numeracy development of targeted students
- systems for sharing information about students’ literacy and numeracy progress.
Teachers
While much of the explicit teaching of literacy and numeracy occurs in the learning areas of English and Mathematics, literacy and numeracy skills are strengthened, made specific and extended in other learning areas.
Literacy and numeracy are part of learning in all curriculum areas in both primary and secondary contexts. Paying attention to the literacy and numeracy demands of each learning area ensures that students’ literacy and numeracy development is strengthened so that it supports subject-based learning.
The way the progressions are used may differ between primary and secondary teachers and between subject teachers in the secondary context. The benefits of the National Literacy and Numeracy Learning Progressions are maximised where the teacher:
- recognises that much of the explicit learning underpinning literacy development occurs through the content of the Australian Curriculum: English and that much of the explicit learning underpinning numeracy development occurs through the content of the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics
- recognises that each learning area requires the application of discipline-specific literacy and numeracy
- uses the progressions to build understanding of their students’ literacy and numeracy capability
- differentiates teaching and learning experiences to support student progress in literacy and numeracy development
- provides feedback to students about next steps in their learning.
Secondary teachers
In the secondary context, the benefits of the National Literacy and Numeracy Learning Progressions are maximised where the teacher:
- understands the literacy and numeracy demands and opportunities of their subject content
- takes responsibility for teaching the subject-specific literacy and numeracy of their learning area.