Australian Curriculum: General Capabilities – Literacy Version 9.0

Australian Curriculum: General Capabilities – Literacy

About the General Capability

  • General Capability: The Literacy general capability in the Australian Curriculum allows students to:
    • Listen, read, view, speak, write, create oral, print, visual, and digital texts.
    • Use and modify language for varied purposes.
    • Access, understand, analyze, and evaluate information and ideas.
    • Express thoughts and emotions; present ideas and opinions; interact with others.

Copyright and Terms of Use Statement

  • The material is protected under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth), owned by ACARA, and can be used under certain conditions.

Table of Contents

  • Introduction
  • Structure
  • Literacy and the Australian Curriculum: English
  • Speaking and Listening
    • Listening
    • Interacting
    • Speaking
  • Reading and Viewing
    • Phonological Awareness
    • Phonic Knowledge and Word Recognition
    • Fluency
    • Understanding Texts
  • Writing
    • Creating Texts
    • Grammar
    • Punctuation
    • Spelling
    • Handwriting and Keyboarding
  • Appendices
    • Literacy Learning Progression
    • Text Complexity
    • Planning for Teaching English and Other Learning Areas

Introduction

  • Definition of Literacy: In an Australian context, it encompasses the skills of listening, reading, viewing, speaking, writing, and creating in various forms of texts.
  • Purpose: Enables students to effectively navigate the curriculum, engaging with information while forming and expressing their own ideas.
  • Literacy Learning Progression: This framework elaborates on the development of literacy skills, supporting teachers in monitoring student progress. This progression includes:
    • Three elements: Speaking and Listening, Reading and Viewing, Writing.
    • Assessment at varying complexity levels, assisting targeted teaching.

Structure

  • Elements and Sub-Elements:
    1. Speaking and Listening
    • Listening
    • Interacting
    • Speaking
    1. Reading and Viewing
    • Phonological Awareness
    • Phonic Knowledge and Word Recognition
    • Fluency
    • Understanding Texts
    1. Writing
    • Creating Texts
    • Grammar
    • Punctuation
    • Spelling
    • Handwriting and Keyboarding

Speaking and Listening

Sub-Element: Listening
  • Develops proficiency in:
    • Active listening, understanding intricate language structures specific to learning contexts.
    • Recognizing tone and intent through various spoken texts.
Sub-Element: Interacting
  • Skills developed include:
    • Engaging in dialogues, clarifying understanding, and contributing ideas appropriately in discussions.
    • Using language synchronously with audience and purpose.
Sub-Element: Speaking
  • Enhancements include:
    • Voice modulation for coherence, confidence in delivering presentations, and adapting content for different audiences.

Reading and Viewing

Sub-Element: Phonological Awareness
  • Involves:
    • Recognizing phonemes in words, blending sounds to form words, segmenting them, and manipulating sounds.
Sub-Element: Phonic Knowledge and Word Recognition
  • Focuses on:
    • Utilizing letter-sound relationships to decode words, develop spelling skills, and recognize high-frequency words automatically.
Sub-Element: Fluency
  • Measures:
    • Reading speed, accuracy, and expression as complexity of texts increases.
Sub-Element: Understanding Texts
  • Encompasses:
    • Decoding, analyzing, and constructing meaning from various text types, including digital formats and multimedia.

Writing

Sub-Element: Creating Texts
  • Focuses on:
    • Producing varied texts for different purposes, moving from simple ideas toward complex narrative and analytical forms.
Sub-Element: Grammar
  • Emphasizes:
    • Mastery of structure, coherence in sentence formation, adherence to grammatical rules at various levels.
Sub-Element: Punctuation
  • Teaches:
    • Use of punctuation for clarity, including complex structures for more sophisticated text creation.
Sub-Element: Spelling
  • Involves:
    • Phonetic spelling, applications of spelling rules, recognition of high-frequency words, and vocabulary use.
Sub-Element: Handwriting and Keyboarding
  • Includes:
    • Development of fluency and legibility in both contexts, alongside typing skills.

Appendices

Appendix 1: Literacy Learning Progression
  • Describes levels of progression in speaking, listening, reading, and writing, highlighting specific indicators for skill development.
Appendix 2: Text Complexity
  • Defines text complexity levels: simple, elementary, moderately complex, complex, and highly complex, providing guidance on the appropriateness of texts for learners.
Appendix 3: Planning for Teaching English and Other Learning Areas

  • Details aligning curriculum content with the Literacy learning progression for targeted instructional practices.

  • Recommendations for effectively integrating literacy into various learning frameworks.

  • Specific examples illustrating teacher strategies in applying literacy in classroom settings.