Unit rationale, description and aim
To achieve educational goals and contribute to an informed society, all students must develop strong literacy and numeracy skills as a foundation for learning. This unit introduces pre-service teachers to the structure of curriculum in the Australian context and explores the pivotal role of literacy and numeracy in progressing student learning across subject areas.
Pre-service teachers will investigate the literacy and numeracy demands of different disciplines and how to support diverse learners, including those from non-English-speaking backgrounds. The unit draws on current research to build knowledge of teaching reading, writing, speaking, and listening for content learning, and introduces a shared metalanguage for assessing multimodal texts—spoken, written, visual, symbolic, and graphic.
This unit aims to equip pre-service teachers with practical strategies for identifying, planning, and integrating explicit literacy and numeracy instruction across secondary curriculum areas. It emphasises evidence-based practices and inclusive approaches to address students’ diverse learning needs. Through targeted exploration of curriculum demands, pre-service teachers will develop the confidence and capability to embed literacy and numeracy meaningfully in their teaching practice.
Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Demonstrate literacy and numeracy skills and conce...
Learning Outcome 01
Explain literacy and numeracy knowledge, skills, u...
Learning Outcome 02
Analyse resources and strategies for explicit teac...
Learning Outcome 03
Reflect on theory and classroom practices related ...
Learning Outcome 04
Content
Topics will include:
- Introduction to literacy and numeracy and expectations for secondary teachers
- Constructions of literacy and numeracy in relevant state, territory and national curriculum and support documents from upper primary through to secondary; Teaching Areas, General Capabilities and Cross-Curricular Priorities
- Literacy and numeracy standards, testing and data
- Discipline-specific literacy and numeracy requirements and expectations
- Impact of literacy and numeracy on learning in the teaching areas
- Issues for students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds in literacy and numeracy; including second language and literacy learning
- Literacy
o Language as a social process; meta-language and literacy in context
o Purpose and structure of text types; spoken, written, visual, graphic and multimodal
o Systems of grammar and discourse in contemporary curriculum
o Research evidence for teaching reading, writing, speaking, listening across the teaching areas
o Evaluation of content-specific literacy demands of resources and tasks
o Strategies used for the explicit teaching of content-specific literacy for reading and writing instruction
- Numeracy
o Numeracy in context; numerical, spatial, graphical, statistical, and algebraic thinking in real-world contexts
o Purpose and structure of mathematics strands: number, algebra, geometry, measurement, statistics and probability
o Purpose and structure of mathematics proficiencies: understanding, fluency, problem solving and reasoning
o Numeracy learning and discourse in contemporary curriculum
o Research evidence for teaching numeracy across the teaching areas
o Evaluation of content-specific numeracy demands of resources and tasks
o Strategies used for the explicit teaching of content-specific numeracy
Assessment strategy and rationale
The assessment tasks and their weightings are designed to establish enable preservice teachers to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the significance of literacy and numeracy to teaching in secondary contexts. This includes understanding of the importance of personal literacy and numeracy skills as required by for meeting the LANTITE requirement, as well as pedagogical skills for developing secondary students’ literacy and numeracy capabilities across all teaching areas.
The Hurdle Task is a diagnostic test that will enable students to identify their current capabilities and develop a learning plan to build their personal skills towards meeting the LANTITE requirement. Assessment Task 1 focuses on identifying the literacy demands of a teaching area, student needs, and strategies to support literacy development. Assessment Task 2 targets numeracy, requiring pre-service teachers to identify numeracy demands and propose strategies to support student learning in their subject area. These tasks are designed to support learning across all unit learning outcomes.
The assessment tasks for this unit are designed to demonstrate achievement of each learning outcome. To pass this unit, you are required to submit all assessment tasks and achieve a minimum overall passing grade of 50% in each task.
As this unit contains practical, skill-based content, engagement with 80% of tutorials is recommended as per Section 5.9h of the ACU Assessment Procedure. For students in the online mode, there will be a nominated schedule of tutorial exercises.
Overview of assessments
Hurdle Task: Online Literacy and Numeracy Quiz C...
Hurdle Task: Online Literacy and Numeracy Quiz
Complete online quizzes in literacy and numeracy as aligned to the testing framework for LaNTITE.
Pass/Fail
Assessment Task 1: Folio: Analysis of Reading and...
Assessment Task 1: Folio: Analysis of Reading and Writing
Prepare four text analyses that identify and explain the literacy knowledge, understandings and skills required of secondary students to engage in your selected teaching areas. Identify their features and suitability for given students and purposes. Reflect on the areas of explicit instruction needed to ensure student success in engaging with the texts.
Selected texts should cover:
- Reading in the teaching areas: two texts that represent reading materials for each of your teaching areas, one of which should incorporate multimodal components, and
- Writing in the teaching areas: two texts that represent written genres relevant in assessing each of your teaching areas.
50%
Assessment Task 2: Numeracy Learning Plan with Ju...
Assessment Task 2: Numeracy Learning Plan with Justification
Design a learning plan outlining a numeracy learning goal for students in Years 7-8 and as relevant to a curriculum goal for one of your teaching areas. You will need to: (1) create clear learning goals, (2) explicitly instruct students in key numeracy knowledge, skills and resources, and (3) provide opportunities to practice.
Prepare a justification and explanation that critically reflects on the pedagogical decisions in your plan. Draw on relevant theory, pedagogy, and curriculum documents to support your decision-making, including why subject area teachers need to provide relevant numeracy instruction in secondary classrooms.
50%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
The assessment tasks and their weightings are designed to establish enable pre-service teachers to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the significance of literacy and numeracy to teaching in secondary contexts. To achieve a passing standard, pre-service students are expected to engage fully with all learning activities and assessments, including regular attendance and active participation in tutorials.
Teaching strategies include reviews of prior learning, explicit instruction of new content, worked examples, and guided and independent practice. Learning will be supported through self-directed study of online content, video materials, and academic readings. Scheduled literacy and numeracy workshops will provide opportunities for collaboration, discussion, and feedback.
Workshop activities will focus on practical engagement, including case studies, self-assessment, collaborative tasks, and reflective practice. These activities are designed to consolidate core concepts and enhance teaching readiness. Technology will be used to enhance both learning and assessment. Pre-service teachers are expected to create digital artefacts and engage with online platforms for communication, production, and feedback.
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers - Graduate Level
In connection to the learning outcomes, on successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should have developed the following industry specific knowledge based on the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers - Graduate Level standards:
Relating toDemonstrate knowledge of teaching strategies that are responsive to the learning strengths and needs of students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO4
Relating toKnow and understand literacy and numeracy teaching strategies and their application in teaching areas.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO3, LO4
Relating toDemonstrate knowledge of a range of resources, including ICT, that engage students in their learning.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2, LO3
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) Core Content
On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should have developed the following industry specific knowledge based on the AITSL Core Content:
Relating toHow to deliver effective reading instruction that attends to how the brain learns to read through systematic and explicit teaching practices for the following elements: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension and oral language.
Relevant learningLO2, LO3, LO4
Relating toThe research that shows explicit reading, and writing comprehension instruction tailored to discipline-specific content improves students’ academic understanding and engagement with material, as well as their overall academic performance.
Relevant learningLO2, LO3, LO4
Relating toHow to explicitly deliver reading and writing instruction through discipline and discipline-specific curriculum and pedagogical studies as outlined in standard 4.2.
Relevant learningLO2, LO3, LO4
Relating toA conceptual understanding of the six strands of mathematics: number, algebra, geometry, measurement, statistics and probability; and the four proficiencies: understanding, fluency, problem solving and reasoning.
Relevant learningLO2, LO3, LO4
Relating toThe research that shows numeracy is a fundamental component of learning, discourse, and critique across all areas of the curriculum and improves students’ understanding of and engagement with material within and beyond the mathematics curriculum.
Relevant learningLO2, LO3
Relating toHow to deliver explicit numeracy instruction followed by a progressive removal of scaffolding as students become more proficient through a combination of underpinning mathematical concepts and skills (numerical, spatial, graphical, statistical, and algebraic); mathematical thinking and strategies; and general thinking skills as appropriate to discipline and discipline-specific curriculum and pedagogical studies as outlined in standard 4.2.
Relevant learningLO2, LO3, LO4
Relating toThe importance of independent problem-solving once a student approaches proficiency in underpinning mathematical concepts.
Relevant learningLO2, LO3, LO4
Representative texts and references
Recommended Texts and Documents
The Australian Curriculum: https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/.
National Numeracy Learning Progressions: https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/resources/national-literacy-and-numeracy-learning-progressions/national-numeracy-learning-progression/.
National Literacy Learning Progressions: https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/resources/national-literacy-and-numeracy-learning-progressions/national-literacy-learning-progression/
Recommended References
Clark. U. (2019). Developing language and literacy in English across the secondary school curriculum: An inclusive approach. Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-93239-2
Herbert, S., Muir, T., & Livy, S. (2020). Characteristics of a secondary school with improved NAPLAN results. Mathematics Education Research Journal, 32(3), 387–410. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13394-019-00304-y
Humphrey, S. (2017). Academic literacies in the middle years: A framework for enhancing teacher knowledge and student achievement. Routledge.
Humphrey, S., & Vale, E. (2020). Investigating model texts for learning. Primary English Teaching Association of Australia.
Jones, P., Matruglio, E., & Edwards-Groves, C. (Eds.). (2022). Transition and continuity in school literacy development. Bloomsbury Academic.
Main, K., Pendergast, D., & Bahr, N. (Eds.). (2017). Teaching middle years: rethinking curriculum, pedagogy and assessment (3rd ed.). Allen & Unwin.
Miller, J., & Armour, D. (2021). Supporting successful outcomes in mathematics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students: a systematic review. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 49(1), 61–77. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359866X.2019.1698711
Morrison, S., & McLafferty, L. (2018). Bridging the Gaps in Mathematics and Numeracy: Supporting Schools in Practitioner Research. Educational and Child Psychology, 93–.
Unsworth, L., Cope, J., & Nicholls, L. (2019). Multimodal literacy and large-scale literacy tests: Curriculum relevance and responsibility. The Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 42(2), 128–139. https://doi.org/10.3316/aeipt.223598
Westwood, P.S. (2021). Teaching for numeracy across the age range : An introduction. Springer.