What is Literacy about?
Literacy is a foundational skill that enables access to further learning, develops important life skills, and allows people to fully engage in work and in their communities.
Everyone has a role to play in developing NCEA literacy, including school leaders, kaiako, whānau and ākonga.
Strong foundational reading and writing skills increase ākonga engagement and:
- improve work and career outcomes;
- enable broader contribution in communities; and
- lead to better health outcomes.
About NCEA Literacy
NCEA Literacy supports ākonga to develop a level of literacy knowledge and skills to engage successfully with all the learning areas of the New Zealand Curriculum, as well as learning in non-school settings. NCEA Literacy covers foundational literacy. This is approximately Level 4/5 of the New Zealand Curriculum, whereby a student has full control over level 4 and is ready to work at Level 5.
From 2024, to gain an NCEA qualification, ākonga must pass either a Te Reo Matatini standard or these two Literacy standards:
- US32403: Read written texts to understand ideas and information
- US32405: Write texts to communicate ideas and information. The Literacy standards require ākonga to demonstrate the following skills:
Literacy is a foundational skill that enables access to further learning, develops important life skills, and allows people to fully engage in work and in their communities.
Everyone has a role to play in developing NCEA literacy, including school leaders, kaiako, whānau and ākonga.
Strong foundational reading and writing skills increase ākonga engagement and:
- improve work and career outcomes;
- enable broader contribution in communities; and
- lead to better health outcomes.
About NCEA Literacy
NCEA Literacy supports ākonga to develop a level of literacy knowledge and skills to engage successfully with all the learning areas of the New Zealand Curriculum, as well as learning in non-school settings. NCEA Literacy covers foundational literacy. This is approximately Level 4/5 of the New Zealand Curriculum, whereby a student has full control over level 4 and is ready to work at Level 5.
From 2024, to gain an NCEA qualification, ākonga must pass either a Te Reo Matatini standard or these two Literacy standards:
- US32403: Read written texts to understand ideas and information
- US32405: Write texts to communicate ideas and information. The Literacy standards require ākonga to demonstrate the following skills:
Big Ideas and Significant Learning
Reading
Reading
Big Idea Body:
Learners use:
- a processing system to decode and comprehend text. Readers develop expertise in using sources of information and comprehension strategies to make sense of text.
- knowledge of text structures and features. Readers develop their knowledge of text features and use this to navigate and understand texts.
- vocabulary knowledge. Successful comprehension depends on understanding most of the meanings of the words in the text.
Learners make sense of written texts
Learners use:
- a processing system to decode and comprehend text. Readers develop expertise in using sources of information and comprehension strategies to make sense of text.
- knowledge of text structures and features. Readers develop their knowledge of text features and use this to navigate and understand texts.
- vocabulary knowledge. Successful comprehension depends on understanding most of the meanings of the words in the text.
Big Idea Body:
Learners:
- develop a critical awareness that enables them to consider who wrote a text, for whom, why and whether it may have purposes that are not immediately apparent.
Learners read critically
Learners:
- develop a critical awareness that enables them to consider who wrote a text, for whom, why and whether it may have purposes that are not immediately apparent.
Big Idea Body:
Learners:
- are clear about their purpose for reading and have appropriate strategies to meet that purpose.
- understand and use ideas in texts.
- locate and evaluate the ideas and information within and across a range of print and digital texts to meet their purpose.
Learners read for different purposes
Learners:
- are clear about their purpose for reading and have appropriate strategies to meet that purpose.
- understand and use ideas in texts.
- locate and evaluate the ideas and information within and across a range of print and digital texts to meet their purpose.
Writing
Writing
Big Idea Body:
Learners:
- use strategies within a writing process to plan and create texts.
- select content, text structure and language choices appropriate to purpose and audience.
- select and use vocabulary that is specific to their topic, purpose and audience.
- revise and edit their work.
Learners write meaningful texts for different purposes and audiences
Learners:
- use strategies within a writing process to plan and create texts.
- select content, text structure and language choices appropriate to purpose and audience.
- select and use vocabulary that is specific to their topic, purpose and audience.
- revise and edit their work.
Big Idea Body:
Learners:
- develop their expertise in sentence construction, grammar, punctuation, spelling, word choice.
Learners use written language conventions appropriately to support communication
Learners:
- develop their expertise in sentence construction, grammar, punctuation, spelling, word choice.
More Information
- Title: Literacy in Your Classroom
- URL: https://ncea.education.govt.nz/mi/mi/node/3481
- Description: A guide for kaiako explaining why literacy is important in all subject areas.
URL: https://ncea.education.govt.nz/mi/mi/node/3481
Description: A guide for kaiako explaining why literacy is important in all subject areas.
- Title: Literacy Pedagogy Guides
- URL: https://ncea.education.govt.nz/mi/mi/node/3517
- Description: A set of guides that translate the Unpacking Literacy document into specific NCEA learning areas and subjects.
URL: https://ncea.education.govt.nz/mi/mi/node/3517
Description: A set of guides that translate the Unpacking Literacy document into specific NCEA learning areas and subjects.
- Title: About Te Reo Matatini
- URL: https://ncea.education.govt.nz/mi/mi/te-reo-matatini-me-te-pangarau/te-reo-matatini/te-ako
- Description: Find out more about the Te Reo Matatini standards ākonga can sit as an alternative to the Literacy standards.
URL: https://ncea.education.govt.nz/mi/mi/te-reo-matatini-me-te-pangarau/te-reo-matatini/te-ako
Description: Find out more about the Te Reo Matatini standards ākonga can sit as an alternative to the Literacy standards.
- Title: About NCEA Numeracy
- URL: https://ncea.education.govt.nz/mi/mi/node/3470
- Description: An overview of the changes to NCEA Numeracy.
URL: https://ncea.education.govt.nz/mi/mi/node/3470
Description: An overview of the changes to NCEA Numeracy.
Links Title: Navigate to:
- Title: Literacy in Your Classroom
- URL: https://ncea.education.govt.nz/mi/mi/node/3481
- Description: A guide for kaiako explaining why literacy is important in all subject areas.
URL: https://ncea.education.govt.nz/mi/mi/node/3481
Description: A guide for kaiako explaining why literacy is important in all subject areas.
- Title: Literacy Pedagogy Guides
- URL: https://ncea.education.govt.nz/mi/mi/node/3517
- Description: A set of guides that translate the Unpacking Literacy document into specific NCEA learning areas and subjects.
URL: https://ncea.education.govt.nz/mi/mi/node/3517
Description: A set of guides that translate the Unpacking Literacy document into specific NCEA learning areas and subjects.
- Title: About Te Reo Matatini
- URL: https://ncea.education.govt.nz/mi/mi/te-reo-matatini-me-te-pangarau/te-reo-matatini/te-ako
- Description: Find out more about the Te Reo Matatini standards ākonga can sit as an alternative to the Literacy standards.
URL: https://ncea.education.govt.nz/mi/mi/te-reo-matatini-me-te-pangarau/te-reo-matatini/te-ako
Description: Find out more about the Te Reo Matatini standards ākonga can sit as an alternative to the Literacy standards.
- Title: About NCEA Numeracy
- URL: https://ncea.education.govt.nz/mi/mi/node/3470
- Description: An overview of the changes to NCEA Numeracy.
URL: https://ncea.education.govt.nz/mi/mi/node/3470
Description: An overview of the changes to NCEA Numeracy.
Navigate to:
- Title: Literacy in Your Classroom
- URL: https://ncea.education.govt.nz/mi/mi/node/3481
- Description: A guide for kaiako explaining why literacy is important in all subject areas.
URL: https://ncea.education.govt.nz/mi/mi/node/3481
Description: A guide for kaiako explaining why literacy is important in all subject areas.
- Title: Literacy Pedagogy Guides
- URL: https://ncea.education.govt.nz/mi/mi/node/3517
- Description: A set of guides that translate the Unpacking Literacy document into specific NCEA learning areas and subjects.
URL: https://ncea.education.govt.nz/mi/mi/node/3517
Description: A set of guides that translate the Unpacking Literacy document into specific NCEA learning areas and subjects.
- Title: About Te Reo Matatini
- URL: https://ncea.education.govt.nz/mi/mi/te-reo-matatini-me-te-pangarau/te-reo-matatini/te-ako
- Description: Find out more about the Te Reo Matatini standards ākonga can sit as an alternative to the Literacy standards.
URL: https://ncea.education.govt.nz/mi/mi/te-reo-matatini-me-te-pangarau/te-reo-matatini/te-ako
Description: Find out more about the Te Reo Matatini standards ākonga can sit as an alternative to the Literacy standards.
- Title: About NCEA Numeracy
- URL: https://ncea.education.govt.nz/mi/mi/node/3470
- Description: An overview of the changes to NCEA Numeracy.
URL: https://ncea.education.govt.nz/mi/mi/node/3470
Description: An overview of the changes to NCEA Numeracy.
Additional Readings
Additional Readings
- Title: Additional Readings
- URL: https://ncea.education.govt.nz/mi/mi/node/3483
- Description: See additional readings and sources for NCEA Literacy and Numeracy.
URL: https://ncea.education.govt.nz/mi/mi/node/3483
Description: See additional readings and sources for NCEA Literacy and Numeracy.
Links Title: Navigate To:
- Title: Additional Readings
- URL: https://ncea.education.govt.nz/mi/mi/node/3483
- Description: See additional readings and sources for NCEA Literacy and Numeracy.
URL: https://ncea.education.govt.nz/mi/mi/node/3483
Description: See additional readings and sources for NCEA Literacy and Numeracy.
Navigate To:
- Title: Additional Readings
- URL: https://ncea.education.govt.nz/mi/mi/node/3483
- Description: See additional readings and sources for NCEA Literacy and Numeracy.
URL: https://ncea.education.govt.nz/mi/mi/node/3483
Description: See additional readings and sources for NCEA Literacy and Numeracy.