Literacy and numeracy are fundamental to a student’s ability to learn at school and to engage productively in society. Improving literacy/numeracy development is a priority for many schools.
The development of the Literacy and Numeracy Progressions has been identified as an area for national action. The Education Council identified supporting STEM education opportunities in school systems as one of five areas for national action. This action included the extension of the national literacy and numeracy continuums to:
… better assist teachers to identify and address individual student needs according to the expected skills and growth in student learning at key progress points from the early years through high school, given the evidence of the spread of student achievement within any classroom. (Education Council 2015, National STEM School Education Strategy, p. 9)