Literacy- Is it more than just reading and writing?

This is a picture of my 3 year old daughter, Lucia. I captured this photo yesterday when we were running errands at the local Post Office. I took the picture because as I watched her work away busily, I found her pre-writing both incredibly adorable and absolutely mind blowing.

In her short time on this planet, Lucia has begun to understand some basic print conventions and gained some early literacy skills. For example, despite not quite being able to reach the desk (note the tippy-toes), Lucia understands that by holding a pen, you can make marks and symbols that hold meaning. She also knows that we write these symbols from left to write and return sweep when we reach the end of the line. Lucia could ‘read’ her writing to me and explain that it was a birthday invitation, addressed to her from a fellow 3 year old buddy, indicating she also understands that writing is a form of communication and that there is both a sender and a receiver of information, involved in the communication process. Being 3, Lucia can’t yet read or write in the conventional sense, but I suspect that her literacy development is well underway and won’t stop at reading and writing but instead move through to  communicating, creating and forming critical responses… and beyond!

 So I guess this brings me to the question- What is it to be literate? Is it to be able to communicate effectively? To read and write with purpose?  To convey and understand meaning? Or as O’Connell an Oddone (2023) ask “In this context of multiple literacies, does being literate actually mean being competent or good at something? Has the term literacy become watered down? Or does it add another dimension of meaning and complexity when it is included in the term?” (para. 21)

I believe that to be able to read and write is no longer a satisfactory indicator of whether someone is literate. The Australian Literacy Educator’s Association (ALEA) Declaration on Literacy in the 21st century, better reflects what it is to be truly literate. By the inclusion of words such as ” access… record…develop… communicate …comprehend… respond… produce…  pose… explore… understand… interact… enjoy… share” (Australian Literacy Educator’s Association, 2015, p. 1) the declaration conveys the multifaceted processes that literacy encompasses and the direct effect that this has on participation within the particular context being discussed.

As teacher librarians, we strive for our students to become literate- beyond the basic and traditional definitions. If I had to come up with a (very simple) definition of the contemporary idea of literacy it might be something like this:

I am not sure whether that comes close to covering the complexities, but I would love to know your thoughts!