The research examines the literacy-related demands involved in the transition from primary to secondary school (Year 6 to Year 7 in Melbourne, Victoria). The methodological paradigm of the study is that of constructivist inquiry. The experience of transition is presented primarily from the student viewpoint, in the form of seven case studies. During the first year of the study, which was the students' final year at primary school, one school was involved. However, the study took on a multi-site approach as the students moved onto five different secondary schools in the second year of the study. In the secondary school context the literacy- related demands were documented within the subjects of English, and Social Education or Science. A literature review on literacy, which presents four main perspectives of literacy, namely, a functional view, a 'literacy for self' view, a cultural view and a critical view, provides a backdrop or background to an overview of the literature connecting transition literacy in the context of transition, including the writing and the and literacy. The research investigates the complexities surrounding reading demands, as well as issues pertaining to the psychosocial context of transition. Such aspects embody expectations about and attitudes to school, together with the process of making friends and forming social groups. The study augments the literature pertaining to literacy and to transition by examining the literacy-related demands in the context of transition. This focus represents a significant gap in the literature. Recommendations for practice flow from the dissertation, and have most relevance to educators within the primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors, but are also applicable to those involved in transition at the policy making level.