Three steps to teaching disciplinary literacies

Literacy practices such as comprehending and composing texts differ from subject to subject. What students need to read or write in English is different from what is needed in their Science subject. The way proficient readers or writers read or write is also found to be subject-specific. Teachers therefore have the responsibility of 'see'ing the distinct literacy practices in their subject and teaching them so that their students can achieve the learning outcomes in their subject. In the unit Literacies and Numeracies in Context at the School of Education, the University of New England, we have developed an approach to assisting pre-service and in-service teachers to teach disciplinary literacies or subject-specific literacies.