The design of the ACSF was informed by the following guiding principles:

• the core skills can be seen as discrete skills; however, their interrelationships are also critical
• the core skills are contextualised; each context in which individuals operate has its own core skills requirements, expectations and rules which need to be learned
• an individual’s performance at any time will be influenced by the interplay of a number of variables described under Four performance variables.

The ACSF describes each of the five core skills across three interactive dimensions:

• Five levels of performance ranging from 1 (low level performance) to 5 (high level performance)
• Four performance variables that may influence a person’s performance at any time:
• support
• context
• text complexity
• task complexity.
• Three Domains of Communication, broad contexts within which the core skill may be used:
• personal and community
• workplace and employment
• education and training.
  

Pre Level 1

The ACSF Pre Level 1 Supplement also describes each of the five core skills across the same four performance variables and three Domains of Communication for performance below level 1 (low level performance).

The ACSF Pre Level 1 Supplement:

• provides guidance to teachers/trainers and assessors in effective assessment and delivery for learners operating at ACSF Pre Level 1
• assists in reporting progress within and from ACSF Pre Level 1
• includes Sample Activities to guide assessment at initial, formative and summative stages
• enables mapping of adult LLN curricula to the Pre Level 1 Supplement
• supports curriculum development and planning at Pre Level 1.