A framework is only valuable if it changes something about how you plan, teach, assess, or think about your students. Here are the most common ways educators use the Global Literacy Framework — from quick daily tasks to longer-term strategic planning.
Key Concept: Two Ways You'll Interact with Domains
Primary Drivers
Domains you're explicitly teaching — they're the focus of your instruction in a given lesson or unit. An ELA teacher's primary driver is Communication Literacy. A math teacher's is Mathematical Literacy.
Embedded Connections
Domains that develop alongside your primary instruction because of how you designed the activity. A science lab naturally embeds Communication Literacy, Iterative Literacy, and Cognitive Literacy — even though science is the primary driver.
Any domain can be a primary driver or an embedded connection depending on the context. The framework helps you be intentional about both.
Planning a Lesson or Unit
"I'm building a unit on ecosystems. What else should I be intentionally developing?"
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How to do it
1
Start with your primary content goal — in this case, Scientific Literacy elements related to ecosystems.
2
Use the framework to identify cross-domain connections. An ecosystems unit naturally activates Mathematical Literacy (data collection), Communication Literacy (reporting findings), and Iterative Literacy (inquiry process).
3
Pull the grade-level goals for each connected domain and build them explicitly into your lesson design — not as afterthoughts, but as intentional learning targets.
4
Check the Bloom's level to make sure your activities match the cognitive demand appropriate for your grade.
The result
A single unit that intentionally develops 4-6 literacy domains instead of "counting" for just one subject. Students get richer learning, and you have documentation that your instruction is developing the whole child.
Diagnosing Where a Student Is Stuck
"This student can't seem to evaluate sources. I've taught it three different ways. What am I missing?"
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How to do it
1
Find the specific learning goal the student is struggling with in the framework.
2
Look at the prerequisite chain — every goal names the prior skill it depends on. Trace backward to find where the foundation might be missing.
3
Check whether the issue is really a gap in a different domain. Sometimes a student who "can't evaluate sources" actually has an Information Literacy comprehension gap, not a critical thinking gap.
4
Use the prerequisite skill to design a targeted intervention that fills the actual gap rather than reteaching the surface-level skill.
The result
Instead of reteaching the same content harder or louder, you address the actual root cause. The prerequisite chains eliminate guesswork and let you intervene precisely.
Running a Curriculum Audit
"We think we're covering everything, but are we? Where are the blind spots?"
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How to do it
1
Pull the grade-level goals for your grade or department from the framework's pacing guide.
2
Map your current curriculum against the 11 domains. Which domains are well-covered? Which are barely touched?
3
Look for accidental gaps — domains that nobody owns. Iterative Literacy and Entrepreneurial Literacy are common blind spots in elementary schools. Cognitive Literacy is often assumed but never explicitly taught.
4
Identify low-lift integration points — places where you're already close and just need to name the skill explicitly and track it.
The result
A clear picture of what your school is actually developing versus what it thinks it's developing. Most schools find they're strong in 4-5 domains and have significant gaps in the rest — gaps that are invisible without a comprehensive map.
Facilitating a PLC or Vertical Team Meeting
"Our grade-level teams plan in isolation. How do we make sure we're building on each other's work?"
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How to do it
1
Pick a single element (e.g., "Source Evaluation" from Information Literacy) and pull up its full PreK-12 progression.
2
Have each grade-level teacher identify where their students are on that progression — and whether it matches where they're "supposed to be."
3
Discuss the handoff points — what does 3rd grade need to have in place for 4th grade to succeed? What's 4th grade assuming students already know?
4
Agree on shared vocabulary and expectations so the same skill isn't taught with three different names across four classrooms.
The result
Vertical alignment that's based on an actual shared progression rather than assumptions. Teachers stop duplicating effort and start building on each other's work intentionally.
Communicating with Families
"Parents ask 'how is my kid doing?' and I don't have a way to talk about the skills that matter beyond grades."
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How to do it
1
Use the framework's "I Can" statements to translate learning goals into family-friendly language.
2
At conferences, share progress across multiple domains — not just academic grades. "Your child is strong in Communication and Cognitive Literacy, and we're working on building their Iterative Literacy — specifically, their comfort with revising work."
3
Use the progression to show families where their child is heading — "Right now they're at the 'Apply' level, and by the end of the year we're aiming for 'Analyze.'"
The result
Parent conversations that go beyond "they got a B+ in reading" to "here's the specific thinking skills your child is developing and here's the next step." Families understand growth, not just grades.
Building or Evaluating Assessments
"I want to make sure my assessment actually measures what I taught — at the right cognitive level."
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How to do it
1
Identify the learning goals your unit targeted and note their Bloom's level (Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, Create).
2
Check that your assessment items match the cognitive level. If you taught at the "Analyze" level, a multiple-choice recall question won't tell you if students learned what you taught.
3
Use the Quality Indicators from the framework to define what proficiency looks like at that level — these become your rubric criteria.
4
Include assessment items that touch cross-domain goals you intentionally developed, so you capture the full picture of what students learned.
The result
Assessments that are aligned to exactly what you taught, at the right level of rigor. No more testing recall when you taught analysis, and no more missing the cross-domain growth that happened alongside your content.
Creating Rubrics from the Framework
"I need a rubric that actually measures the skills I'm teaching — not just content recall."
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How to do it
1
Identify the specific elements your lesson or unit targets. For example, a research project might target "Source Evaluation" (Information Literacy), "Evidence-Based Argument" (Communication Literacy), and "Self-Reflection" (Cognitive Literacy).
2
Pull the Bloom's progression for each element at your grade level. The framework already tells you what the expected cognitive level is — that becomes your "proficient" column.
3
Build your rubric levels using the progression as a ladder: "Beginning" = one Bloom's level below grade expectation, "Proficient" = the grade-level goal, "Advanced" = one level above. The language is already written for you in the framework.
4
Add a row for any embedded connections you want to acknowledge — domains that aren't your primary target but are naturally developing through the task. These can be scored separately or noted as observational.
5
Share the rubric with students before the task. Because the framework language is clear and specific, students can self-assess against the criteria and understand exactly what "the next level" looks like.
The result
Rubrics that are directly tied to developmental progressions — not generic "4-3-2-1" scales. Students and teachers share a common language for what quality looks like, and the rubric itself becomes a teaching tool. Plus, because the criteria come from the framework, rubrics stay consistent across classrooms and grade levels.
Year-Long Pacing and Scope & Sequence
"How do I make sure I'm covering all 11 domains across the year without it feeling overwhelming?"
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How to do it
1
Start with the framework's quarterly pacing structure: Q1 Foundation, Q2 Development, Q3 Application, Q4 Mastery.
2
Identify which domains are your primary drivers (taught explicitly in your content area) vs. embedded connections (developed naturally through well-designed instruction).
3
Map 3-4 primary domains per quarter and embed 2-3 additional domains through cross-curricular design. You don't teach 11 domains separately — you layer them.
4
Use the time estimates in the framework to reality-check your pacing. If it doesn't fit, prioritize the highest-leverage goals for your grade level.
The result
A realistic year-long plan that develops the whole child without requiring extra hours in the day. The trick is integration, not addition — and the framework is designed to make that integration visible and intentional.
Making the Case to Leadership
"I see the value, but how do I explain this to my principal or school board?"
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How to do it
1
Start with the standards alignment — this framework connects to 9+ sets of standards they already care about (Common Core, NGSS, CASEL, ISTE, etc.). It's not replacing anything; it's connecting what already exists.
2
Run a quick audit showing which domains the school currently covers well and which are invisible. The gap visualization is usually compelling on its own.
3
Show the Portrait of a Graduate — what a holistically developed student looks like at graduation. Ask: "Is this what we're producing? If not, what's the plan to get there?"
4
Emphasize that this is about making the invisible visible — teachers are already doing much of this work. The framework names it, tracks it, and makes it equitable and systematic.
The result
A conversation grounded in data and standards alignment rather than philosophy. Leadership can see this as a coherence tool that unifies existing initiatives — not another program to layer on top.