5nitially, the ability to read and write, but more recently the meaning of literacy has been extended to that of having access to a body of knowledge, such as mathematical, computer or scientific literacy. The initial meaning of reading literacy has also been extended from a straightforward ability to read and write to encompass the ability to understand, use and reflect on written texts, in order to achieve particular goals. Furthermore, it is now recognized that literacy is a social practice, and as such there are different literacies corresponding to different social contexts.
See Critical literacy, Genre theory, Globalization, Information technology, National Literacy Strategy, Reasoning (genre theory), Social context, Vernacular (or community) literacies