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This introductory chapter is split into three parts. First, the Australian Curriculum: English is drawn on to offer a definition of English as a learning area comprising the three components of language, literacy, and literature. Second, explicit instruction is introduced as a key pedagogical approach underpinning the chapters of the text. Third, the text’s structure is outlined, highlighting in greater detail how its design hopes to make learning and engaging with the content efficient, inspiring, and empowering.

English according to the Australian Curriculum

Primary school teachers must grapple with many aspects of English education and so it is helpful that the Australian Curriculum: English details what should be taught in every primary year level and beyond. The curriculum writers divide English into three main strands (i.e., components): language, literacy, and literature. Each strand is divided further into substrands, and each substrand is used to organise a list of content descriptions: specific English understandings or skills that teachers should teach and assess in each year of primary school (see Figure 1.2).