PETAA 2026 Leading with Literacy Conference

What is knowledge-rich literacy learning?

The 2026 Leading with Literacy Conference explores the relationship between knowledge, literacy and learning across all learning areas.

A knowledge-rich curriculum: strengthening literacy and unlocking knowledge

Applying a literacy lens to the concept of a knowledge-rich curriculum

Educator, writer and visual thinker Kathleen McLean brings the concepts of the 2026 Leading with Literacy Conference to life in this illustration.

2026 Conference Program Outcomes

What the conference will develop

These outcomes describe the knowledge, understanding, and classroom practices the conference will develop. Together, they show how knowledge-rich curriculum design strengthens reading, writing, and talk across learning areas.

Understand the interconnected relationship between literacy and knowledge rich learning across all learning areas so that students:

Reading

Build deep reading comprehension through background and domain knowledge which includes vocabulary.

Writing

Use writing to consolidate learning, to deepen thinking, demonstrate understanding, personal opinion, and reflection.

Talk

Discover the place of rich and purposeful talk to help students process new knowledge and clarify thinking

Integrating all three modes of English

to strengthen reading, writing and talk through rich, challenging and varied text choices in both English and other learning areas.

Prioritise vocabulary as knowledge

being critical to success in reading, writing and talking. Words are deep knowledge that transfer across contexts, not just definitions, and have the power to unlock meaning for all learners.

Integrate diverse cultural knowledge and perspectives

to ensure equitable access to learning and to cultivate empathy, curiosity and critical thinking.

Build your professional literate knowledge

(text types, grammar, language devices) to explicitly support students to become capable writers and speakers, and discerning readers.

Knowledge gives students power:

to know how and what to write, how to read critically, and express ideas orally, building a students’ understanding of themselves and their place in the world.

Illustration by Kathleen McLean

Kathleen McLean is an educator, writer, and visual thinker who creates illustrated reflections that capture the complexity and humanity of educational conversations. Through hand-drawn visual synthesis, she transforms ideas into conceptual landscapes that invite curiosity, connection, and deeper reflection. Her work explores the intersection of literacy, creativity, learning, and meaning-making, with a particular interest in how images can help ideas become both memorable and emotionally resonant..

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Explore the program

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