English and Literacies Learning How to Make Meaning in Primary Classrooms

This chapter provides an introduction to some of the fundamental concepts of literacies, commencing with a brief exploration of changing understandings of text and what it means to be literate within the increasingly dynamic and complex communicative environments of the twenty-first century. The chapter will explore the importance of the early years in the development of literate practices, and the impact of literacies on lifelong patterns of educational inclusion and attainment, employment, and health and wellbeing. The significance of literate practices to identities and community connections will be considered, together with the need for responsive, carefully scaffolded learning experiences that value diverse literate repertoires while offering inclusion in the textual practices embedded within schooling. Overall, the chapter seeks to provide a context for the key strategies and instructional approaches presented in the remainder of the book.