Literateleaning

Literateleaning is a theoretical framework in education and information studies that foregrounds literacy as a central, cross-disciplinary tool for thinking and learning. It conceptualizes literacy not merely as decoding texts but as a set of practices—reading, writing, annotation, argumentation, source evaluation, and digital communication—that shape knowledge construction across subject areas. In practice, curricula adopting literateleaning integrate literate activities into non-language subjects and assess students on their ability to use and critique textual resources within diverse contexts.

Origin and influences: The term emerged within scholarly discussions about literacy studies, New Literacy Studies, and the Multiliteracies approach, drawing on theories that literacy is social, multimodal, and context-dependent. Literateleaning extends these ideas by explicitly linking literacy practices to disciplinary thinking and to equity in access to knowledge.

Implementation and methods: Teachers incorporate cross-curricular writing, evidence-based argumentation, and source-critical reading across math, science, and humanities. Assessment emphasizes argument quality, citation practices, and the ability to navigate digital sources. Pedagogies often combine explicit literacy instruction with disciplinary content, including collaborative writing, peer feedback, and reflective literacy journals.

Critiques and considerations: Critics warn against privileging textual modes at the expense of oral, visual, or hands-on knowing. Discussions center on balancing literateleaning with other literacies, ensuring culturally responsive practices, and avoiding one-size-fits-all standards. Empirical research on outcomes remains mixed, with attention to context, language background, and resource availability.

See also: information literacy, digital literacy, critical literacy, literacy across the curriculum, transliteracy, multiliteracies.