1.1- Explain the importance of literacy and numeracy skills for accessing the wider curriculum

The two key subjects in primary school are literacy and numeracy. They are at the heart of Curriculum for Excellence, as the knowledge, skills and attributes which equip children and young people (CYPs) for learning, life and work. It is understood that literacy and numeracy helps learners to gain fundamental skills necessary to achieve success in life. So there is a national strategy to improve literacy and numeracy in CYPs to support them to live satisfying and rewarding lives as well as participate as active and informed citizens of society.
Literacy and numeracy skills are important for accessing the wider curriculum because they are used in everything. Literacy skills allow children to explore the ways in which language works so that they can use this knowledge in a variety of situations. Literacy skills include, writing, reading, communicating, listening and understanding. Children need to be given opportunities to use and extend their language so that they can develop their literacy skills to a higher level. Literacy skills are used across the curriculum in every subject and aspect of life, so it is important for children to have access to the concepts at an early an age as possible, so they can grasp it.
The key aspect of numeracy skills, is for children to understand its real life application. Children need to have numeracy skills because they are equally as important as literacy skills, for proficiency in society. Numeracy includes number, shape, time, problem solving and handling data. All of which are needed in everyday life. Numeracy skills can also be used across other subjects such as science or P.E.
The development of literacy and numeracy skills, is there to increase confidence and competence of the children, within the subjects. The two also interlink, where you find word problems in numeracy, which can only be understood if there is an understanding of literacy and dates in literacy, which can only be understood if the child has numeracy skills.