In today's world of information overload, the article emphasizes that literacy goes beyond merely stringing letters together into sentences; it encompasses the ability to filter, analyze, and derive meaning from various forms of content, including data, visual elements, and codes. Literacy is becoming a critical skill necessary for young people to navigate the information-rich environment effectively.

In Latvia, recent international assessments indicate that students' literacy levels are average, with significant challenges in higher-order thinking skills such as recognizing cause-and-effect relationships and evaluating the credibility of information. This highlights that literacy should not be the sole responsibility of language teachers, but rather the collective responsibility of educators across all subjects.

Moreover, while Latvian fourth graders generally perform better than average in reading proficiency in international comparisons, a decline was noted in the 2021 assessment cycle compared to 2016. The lowest performance was observed among boys living in rural areas, indicating potential disparities in educational outcomes based on geographic location and exposing a need for targeted support for these groups.