Curiosity drives children’s engagement with the world, creating a perpetual quest for information. In a world where information abounds and access is easy to even the youngest children, educators must equip students with the capacity to critically question information. For elementary-grade students, information literacy skills facilitate students’ abilities to engage in inquiry, think critically, and construct meaning in all disciplines.

Information literacy is a set of skills that enable students to recognize when information is needed and to locate, evaluate, and effectively use information. Students develop implicit and explicit information literacy skills from the beginning of their educational careers, so it is important for educators to routinely and intentionally model information literacy practices. This document discusses how information literacy appears in content areas, and how it can be seamlessly integrated into daily instruction in kindergarten through grade 5.

• Children in early elementary grades (K-2) typically view adults as primary sources of information and will begin building information literacy skills by imitating ways in which trusted adults access, engage with, and present information.
• As students learn to generate and answer questions using multiple, diverse sources of information in upper elementary grades (3-5), students will need information literacy skills to further evaluate information for context and accuracy.
• Information literacy skills progress in complexity over time, requiring that students’ skills expand through content area practices and performance expectations connected to support proficiency in New Jersey Student Learning Standards.
• Information literacy instruction in K-5 is student-centered and not content area-dependent; therefore, students should be equipped with foundational information literacy skills for locating, evaluating, and effectively using information in all content areas.
• School library media specialists are knowledgeable collaborators in developing grade level-appropriate instruction on information literacy, using library resources, and curating relevant and diverse sources of information.
• Effective information literacy instruction will assist students as they evaluate content generated by artificial intelligence (AI). Verifying factual information, understanding the sources of content, and recognizing the limitations of AI-generated text will inform students’ decision-making as AI becomes more prevalent in society. 

English Language Arts: The 2023 New Jersey Students Learning Standards  (NJSLS) for English Language Arts include Reading, Writing, and Speaking and Listening standards that are explicitly related to information literacy skills.  Students in grades K-5 build those skills by generating questions from and finding concrete evidence in text, supporting their opinions with facts and information, and using print and non-print references to gather information. Facilitating access to rich, varied, curated references forms the foundation for students’ capacities for information literacy.

 Mathematics: Information literacy skills in Mathematics are not applicable to instruction in grades K-5.

 Science: Information literacy skills are present in the science and engineering practices of the NJSLS for Science. During science instruction, students obtain, evaluate, and communicate information through reading and writing texts as well as by communicating orally. Educators need to encourage student scientists to critically evaluate and persuasively communicate scientific information.

 Social Studies: Information literacy in the context of the social studies classroom equips students with the skills to objectively understand the world around them and responsibly engage with their community, state, and country. In the elementary grades this involves developing questions, analyzing primary and secondary sources, compiling information across multiple sources, evaluating perspective and context, and presenting evidence-based information as articulated in the NJSLS Social Studies Disciplinary Practices.

 World Languages: Using the target language, world language instruction allows students to think critically in their exploration of their own and other cultures through the investigation of culturally authentic products and practices. In grades K-5, this includes the use of authentic information from multiple sources and the 2020 New Jersey Student Learning Standards for World Languages intercultural statements.  Information literacy skills such as examining relevant text features, identifying the source of the information, or determining an author’s purpose provide some examples of the ways information literacy instruction can assist world language students with developing a deeper understanding of authentic texts in other languages.

 Visual and Performing Arts: Information literacy in arts education connects students with a wide array of artifacts from different cultures, historical eras, artists, and current events. By leveraging the standards associated with the artistic processes of responding and connecting, students develop skills in determining information needs, finding reliable sources, and utilizing them effectively. Integrating information literacy into arts education deepens students’ comprehension of the societal impact of the arts, strengthens discipline-specific literacy and skills, and fosters creativity.

 Comprehensive Health & Physical Education: Information literacy in CHPE provides students with the knowledge and skills to access health information, products, equipment, wellness platforms (i.e., apps) and services necessary to ensure a healthy lifestyle. Critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, and communicating with adults and peers are information literacy skills that can be developed through elementary CHPE instruction.

• Equitable development of information literacy is essential to building critical thinking and other literacy skills for meaningful engagement with all content areas.
• Information literacy helps educators and students find and incorporate a variety of sources that present diverse perspectives, cultures, and histories, promoting inclusivity in the classroom.

• Collaborate with a school library media specialist and other educators to integrate information literacy consistently in all grade levels and content areas.
• All school staff members should explicitly model information literacy practices and processes daily in classroom instruction, including determining the need for and locating accurate information, evaluating that information, and using it safely and responsibly.
• Speak with accountability by providing evidence when presenting information and citing sources to students, colleagues, and community members (see “Resources for Additional Professional Learning” for more information on accountable talk).
• Utilize primary resources to inquire and investigate topics of interest: explore artifacts, interview experts, record observations, and collect data/information.

• What information literacy skills must you strengthen in order to effectively model information literacy practices and processes for students?
• How might you model how you access, engage with, and present information for the students in your classroom?
• How are you currently teaching and integrating information literacy?

• Information Literacy Skills from Purdue University Online and Blended Teaching Hub outlines the importance of information literacy for both teachers and students.
• Accountable Talk: Instructional dialogue that builds the mind by Lauren B. Resnick, Christa, S.G. Asterhan, and Sherice N. Clarke (UNESCO International Bureau of Education, 2018) provides educators with strategies to implement the Accountable Talk protocol.
• Developing Inquisitive Learners, Critical Thinkers, and Resourceful Citizens from the American Association of School Librarians includes activities to develop students’ capacities to think, create, share, and grow (pg. 9).

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