“Literacy isn’t just about reading; it can involve things like watching, listening, observing, and problem solving,” said Minister (McKinnon, J. 2012)

The textbook definition of ‘literacy is the ability to read and write’. But I think that literacy is more than just having the ability to read and write, relating back to the video on the home page shows the person learning about literacy but having the ability to understand what literacy is about. Literacy helps to communicate between people, through work via emails, messages and phones. University relies on communication between students and lectures to understand the semester and the given work. Ania Lian explains that literacy isn’t just a skill but rather a tool for people to use.

The video goes through all the areas that cover literacy:

• Ability to understand

• Communication between people

• Between thoughts and ideas

• Between the world

• Literacy is change through; education; personality; yourself; relationships with others

These areas give us tools of thinking and give all of us our identity as a person. (Youtube video)

Early Learning Years Framework (ELYF):

The Early Learning Years Framework (ELYF) explains that we think of literacy and numeracy, we often think of school based learning using formal teaching methods. Early Learning Years Framework strongly reminds us that the main foundations of literacy and numeracy are laid well before formal schooling starts. (Touhill, L. 2013) (ELYF, date, p.2) From infancy, children use sound, gesture and body language to communicate their needs and feelings. (Campbell, 2005, pp.3-5) (Connor, J. 2012)

Positive attitudes and competencies in literacy and numeracy are essential for children’s successful learning. The foundations for these competencies are built in early childhood (DEEWR, 2009, p.38)

Literacy is viewed as an important aspect of communication in all aspects of year levels. Early Learning Years Framework explains that ‘Literacy is the capacity, confidence and disposition to use language in all its forms’  (Unkown. 2011, pg2). In continues to discuss different ways of communications such as music, movement, dance, storytelling, visual arts, media and drama as well as talking, listening, viewing, reading and writing.

“Every time we try something new, we’re learning, and that contributes to our literacy, and capacity to continue learning.  Recognizing our ability to learn is one of the best gifts we can give ourselves. It creates a strong foundation for success in anything we do.” (McKinnon, J. 2012)

Australian Curriculum:

Reading the 2016 Australian Curriculum it explains that through literacy it creates confident communicators, imaginative thinkers and informed citizens. It is through this study of English that individuals learn to analyse and understand, communicate and build relationships with others and the world around them. The Australian Curriculum views literacy that involves students listening to, reading, viewing, speaking, writing and creating oral, print, visual and digital texts (Austra. Dr Gary Woolley says ‘using new technologies and social media as tools for learning, and engaging with the literacy needs of diverse learns. (Woolley, pg. 2, 2014)

‘Literacy- it’s more than just reading and writing’

Literacy is about more than reading and writing—it is about

how we communicate in society. It is about social practices and

relationships, about knowledge, language and culture. Literacy . . .

finds its place in our lives alongside other ways of communicating.

Indeed, literacy itself takes many forms: on paper, on the

computer screen, on TV, on posters and signs. Those who use

literacy take it for granted – but those who cannot use it are

excluded from much communication in today’s world. Indeed, it

is the excluded who can best appreciate the notion of “literacy as

freedom.” (King, A. 2004)

Ania Lian view:

‘For people living in print culture societies [in the 21st century], such as Australia, Literacy can be seen as a tool for engaging in a diversity of meaning-making systems in order to participate in the contexts of life on an increasingly informed basis'. (Ania,L. 2016, 7:24mins) 

Being literate is all of the above points, but it is to give knowledge about the world to the future generations. Being literate is having the tool in engaging in diversity. Once we have the ability and knowledge of being literate our ability to engage with social interactions and also having the ability to be creative through media, dance, play etc. Being literate is being able to participate in society and having the ability to understand and being more informed citizens within the community. Australia Curriculum does not define reading as learning words and sounds. It sees it as a complex process, engaging students in learning about the world and tools, which allow them to participate in this world in the most appropriate ways. (Lian, A. 2016, Module 2)

Literacy is invended for a reason (Lian, A. 2016, Module 2)