Resource materials

The State Literacy Plan 2006–2008 articulates the New South Wales approach to teaching literacy, in particular, reading. This approach will focus on the systematic and explicit teaching of phonics as part of an integrated approach to achieving reading proficiency and the development of comprehension, grammar, spelling and handwriting skills.

As well, schools will be supported in analysing school-based and state-wide data to inform whole-school planning and teaching programs. Schools will be encouraged to use resources such as the School Measurement and Assessment and Reporting Toolkit to inform school and classroom practice.

These strategies rely for their success on teachers and on the support provided to schools by regions and state offices.

Throughout 2006–2008, all materials produced throughout the years of the previous State Literacy Strategy will be progressively reviewed and revised in line with the State Literacy Plan 2006–2008. Until revised, these materials are available for use at school and regional level in their original format below:

Focus on Literacy

This booklet supports the explicit and systematic teaching of literacy in Government schools.

The diversity of literacy learners, partnerships between home and school, the importance of literacy development in the foundation years and the concept of explicit and systematic teaching are addressed.

Focus on Literacy was distributed to all teachers from Kindergarten to Year 12 in 1997.

The links below are to pdf versions of the contents of the document and to the complete document.

Focus on Literacy - contents of the document (pdf 44kb)

Focus on Literacy - whole document (pdf 200 kb)

A series of units for teaching literacy in Year 7 subject areas were developed around 1997. These units were designed to support and extend students' learning within subject contexts and to increase teachers' familiarity with a functional approach to language.

Teaching Literacy in Creative Arts in Year 7 (623kb)

Teaching Literacy in Design and Technology in Year 7 (562kb)

Teaching Literacy in English in Year 7 (575kb)

Teaching Literacy in History in Year 7 (842kb)

Teaching Literacy in Geography in Year 7 (3.14MB)

Teaching Literacy in Languages in Year 7 (802kb)

Teaching Literacy in Mathematics in Year 7 (711kb)

Teaching Literacy in PDHPE in Year 7 (315kb)

Teaching Literacy in Science in Year 7 (821kb)

Continuity of Literacy Development: Years 5 to 8

Whole document

Chapters 1 and 2