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Parent/carer information

How literacy and numeracy develops

Literacy and numeracy development influences students’ achievement at school, and beyond into their active participation in society. In the Australian Curriculum, literacy and numeracy are 2 of the 7 general capabilities. The Literacy and Numeracy learning progressions describe how aspects of literacy and numeracy learning typically develop over time. The development of literacy and numeracy occurs when students apply the knowledge and skills developed in English and Mathematics across the 8 learning areas in the Australian Curriculum. 

 

The Literacy and Numeracy learning progressions are organised into elements and sub-elements that form a detailed description of the typical developmental path in aspects of literacy and numeracy. These learning progressions may help parents and carers understand how literacy and numeracy skills typically develop, and identify the literacy and numeracy skills their children are using and currently learning.

FAQs

Parents and carers can use the learning progressions to understand their child’s level of literacy and numeracy, and the next steps in their learning.

 

Parents and carers can use the learning progressions to help their child with homework tasks by identifying the kinds of literacy and numeracy skills their child is using. Children frequently use literacy and numeracy in everyday life; for example, to read instructions for a toy or add up scores in a game. By scanning the progressions, parents and carers can identify the literacy and numeracy skills their children are using.

 

For example, a parent/carer working with a child in the early years of school might read a story to their child, who then repeats parts of the story. A scan through the “Understanding texts” sub-element of the Literacy learning progression would give them a snapshot of how their child is doing with comprehension and vocabulary.

 

A parent/carer of a child in later primary school years might be helping their child to develop a savings plan to buy a new game. The parent/carer and child might agree on ways that the child could earn money and how much they would need to save over a number of weeks. In some weeks, the child might earn a bit extra and then adjust the amount they need to earn for the remaining weeks. Looking at the “Additive strategies” and ”Multiplicative strategies” sub-elements of the Numeracy learning progression could help the parent/carer get a sense of the types of numeracy skills their child would be using to complete their savings plan.

Yes, as every child can learn.

 

Children progress along the path of literacy and numeracy development at different rates. They may have different starting points to their literacy and numeracy development, and they may demonstrate their skills in different ways. The learning progressions describe skill development as indicator points, in each sub-element,  allowing parents/carers to see how their child is progressing and what their next steps might be.