Why this approach is important

Language and literacy skills are essential to learning about all subjects taught in school. Students internalise knowledge by listening, talking, reading and writing and by understanding and employing the specific terms, phrases and structures that are associated with particular topics.

In science, for instance, lessons in which students plan, predict, observe, record, describe, explain and summarise will promote not only their learning of the subject but also their language and literacy development. All school subjects offer such language and literacy development opportunities. The ability to integrate these complementary aspects of learning – subject-related content and language and literacy content – is the characteristic of a skilled teacher.