Year
2024Credit points
10Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unitPrerequisites
Nil
Incompatible
EDLA518 Primary English Education 1
Unit rationale, description and aim
Learning to read and write is the most important challenge children face during their first three years of school. Early Childhood and Primary teachers play a crucial role in preparing children to learn and teaching the foundational reading and writing skills that allow children access the increasingly complex texts and discourses in later primary and high school years and to communicate their learning to others.
This unit includes seven modules. Six modules introduce preservice teachers to evidence-based effective early reading and writing instruction and to both formative and summative assessments of early literacy skills. Module 1 examines how to develop phonological awareness in early childhood settings, the role that phonemic awareness plays in phonics, and how teaching phonemic awareness within the context of phonics is effective for most children. In Module 2, different evidence-based approaches to teaching phonics are examined and the preservice teachers are introduced to different types of explicit and systematic phonics teaching, the scope and sequence of teaching grapheme-phoneme correspondences, and how to use decodables as a productive part of a phonics program. Module 3 examines different approaches to teaching spelling, including explicit systematic teaching of phonics, morphology and etymology. This module also develops understanding of the role of handwriting in the context of learning to read and write, and of relevant, quality practices for teaching handwriting to children. Module 4 examines different evidence-based teaching strategies and techniques for improving children’s reading comprehension. Module 5 introduces preservice teachers to reading fluency as a multidimensional construct and to different evidence-based teaching approaches to increasing reading fluency. Module 6 introduces preservice teachers explicit, evidence-based approaches to teaching vocabulary and oral language. All six modules cover both instruction and assessment, including progress monitoring. The covered teaching and assessment practices will be based on current literacy research with a focus on supporting the literacy learning process for diverse learners. Module 7 address the English curriculum requirements and introduces preservice teachers to using student-driven data as a basis for planning and programming literacy needs.
The aim of this unit is to ensure that after completing the unit, preservice teachers understand the importance and can deliver explicit and systematic literacy instruction that aligns with research evidence and meets the needs of all learners in their early childhood and primary classrooms.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
| Learning Outcome Number | Learning Outcome Description |
|---|---|
| LO1 | Research and analyse the components of oral language, the interdependence of talking, listening, reading, and writing, and the foundational role of oral language in reading and writing, and apply this knowledge to the design of learning activities for promoting oral language, reading and writing ( APST 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.5; ACECQA A2, A8, B1, B2, B4, C2, C4, E2) |
| LO2 | Research and analyse children’s language and literacy development and the influence of cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and demonstrate knowledge of effective differentiation strategies to support learners with diverse needs such as linguistic and cultural differences (including EALD and Indigenous learners), trauma backgrounds, and literacy difficulties ( APST 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 4.1; ACECQA A6, B2, B4, B5, C5, C6, D3, D4, D5, E2) |
| LO3 | Apply language and literacy content, pedagogical, and assessment knowledge to planning, teaching and assessing children’s composition and comprehension of oral and written language, whilst incorporating ethical digital technologies ( APST 1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 2.6, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 4.1, 4.2, 4.5, 5.1, 5.4; ACECQA B1, B2, B4, B9, C3, C4, C5, C6) |
| LO4 | Apply knowledge of the Australian Curriculum: English and state-based curriculum documents to the design of learning activities that support the curriculum outcomes ( APST 2.1, 2.3; ACECQA B1, B2, B9) |
| LO5 | Identify and critique relevant and appropriate sources of professional learning to broaden professional learning to improve student outcomes ( APST 6.2, 6.4, 7.4) |
AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS - GRADUATE LEVEL
On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should be able to:
1.1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students and how these may affect learning. |
1.2 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of research into how students learn and the implications for teaching. |
1.3 Demonstrate knowledge of teaching strategies that are responsive to the learning strengths and needs of students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds. |
1.4 Demonstrate broad knowledge and understanding of the impact of culture, cultural identity and linguistic background on the education of students from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds. |
1.5 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of strategies for differentiating teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities. |
2.1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts, substance and structure of the content and teaching strategies of the teaching area. |
2.2 Organise content into an effective learning and teaching sequence. |
2.3 Use curriculum, assessment and reporting knowledge to design learning sequences and lesson plans. |
2.5 Know and understand literacy and numeracy teaching strategies and their application in teaching areas. |
2.6 Implement teaching strategies for using ICT to expand curriculum learning opportunities for students. |
3.2 Plan lesson sequences using knowledge of student learning, content and effective teaching strategies. |
3.3 Include a range of teaching strategies. |
3.4 Demonstrate knowledge of a range of resources, including ICT, that engage students in their learning. |
3.5 Demonstrate a range of verbal and non-verbal communication strategies to support student engagement. |
4.1 Identify strategies to support inclusive student participation and engagement in classroom activities. |
4.2 Demonstrate the capacity to organise classroom activities and provide clear directions. |
4.5 Demonstrate an understanding of the relevant issues and the strategies available to support the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT in learning and teaching. |
5.1 Demonstrate understanding of assessment strategies, including informal and formal, diagnostic, formative and summative approaches to assess student learning. |
5.4 Demonstrate the capacity to interpret student assessment data to evaluate student learning and modify teaching practice. |
6.2 Understand the relevant and appropriate sources of professional learning for teachers. |
6.4 Demonstrate an understanding of the rationale for continued professional learning and the implications for improved student learnings. |
7.4 Understand the role of external professionals and community representatives in broadening teachers’ professional knowledge and practice. |
ACECQA Curriculum Specifications
On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should have developed the following specific knowledge:
A. Child development and care A2. Language development A6. Diversity, difference and inclusivity A8. Transition and continuity of learning (including transition to school) |
B. Education and curriculum studies B1. Early Years Learning Framework B2. The Australian Curriculum B4. Language and literacy B5. English as a second language B9. Curriculum planning, programming and evaluation |
C. Teaching pedagogies C2. Play-based pedagogies C3. guiding behaviour/engaging young learners C4. Teaching methods and strategies C5. Children with diverse needs and backgrounds C6. Working with children who speak languages other than English, or in addition to, English |
D. Family and community contexts D3. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives D4. Socially inclusive practice D5. Culture, diversity and inclusion |
E. History and philosophy of early childhood E2. contemporary theories and practice |
Content
Topics will include:
Subject content knowledge: Knowledge about the curriculum
- The F- 2 English curriculum: Language, Literature and Literacy strands.
- Understanding Language: components of language (semantics, syntactics, morphology, phonology and pragmatics), oral language demands in the F-2 English curriculum and the role of oral language in reading and writing.
- Understanding and applying Literature: Evaluating a range of text types and multimodal texts for developing language and literacy
- Understanding Literacy: The development of and processes involved in listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing and creating, and associated theories
Content and Pedagogical knowledge and skills for teaching and assessment of Reading/Listening/Speaking/Viewing:
- Understanding how children learn to read Birth - 8: children’s reading behaviours and development.
- Understanding the reading process: Models of reading (e.g., gradual release of responsibility; the simple view of reading; four resources mode
- Critical elements of reading instruction – The Big Five:
Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Reading Fluency, Vocabulary, Text Comprehension
- The Reading/Viewing demands in the F-2 curriculum.
- Planning reading instruction with reference to the curriculum
- Formative and summative assessment of Reading/Viewing/ Listening/ Speaking
Content and Pedagogical knowledge and skills for teaching and assessment of Writing and Creating:
- Understanding written texts: grammatical differences between speech and writing
- Text types: social purpose, structure, and language features
- Understanding how children learn to write: Children’s writing development Birth - 8
- The Writing/Creating demands in the F-2 curriculum.
- Using the gradual release of responsibility for teaching writing
- Formative and summative assessment of writing and creating
Professional Knowledge and Skills:
- Understanding and using the National Literacy Learning Progressions and relevant national or state curricula for teaching, assessing and reporting.
- Teaching and learning strategies for engagement and inclusion of EAL/D, Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander, gifted and talented students
- Understanding the impact of culture, cultural identity and diversity in schooling and the needs of multicultural students in literacy acquisition and development
- Strategies to involve parents/carers in the reading process to support literacy development
- Strategies to interpret student assessment data to evaluate student learning and modify teaching practice
- Strategies for including ICT in the language and literacy framework of the classroom.
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
Teaching and learning in this unit is based on a Social Constructivist approach (Vygotsky, 1978), which emphasises the critical importance of the cultural and social aspects of learning. Learning will be scaffolded through both explicit instruction and opportunities to engage in a range of interpersonal activities in workshops, lectures and tutorials to enable students to learn from and with each other as active co-constructors of meaning, skills and understanding. This approach is highly effective for the teaching of literacy in the early years and primary classrooms. Learning will be supported by online activities and a range of current research delivered in the form of directed reading, reflection, discussion, webinars, podcasts and other multimedia options. The on-campus learning experiences are supported by online learning strategies, including synchronous and/or asynchronous digital engagement in reading/library tasks, learning activities, and discussion forums as mediated through the Learning Management System unit site.
Technology Enhanced Learning
Technology will be used to enhance teaching and learning, as well as in assessment, as a means of communication, production and feedback. Students will be required to create digital artefacts and interact with the unit’s Learning Management System site, online resources and technology requirements.
On-campus/Online Learning support
Students enrolled in both on-campus and online learning modes are required to regularly log into the Learning Management Systems to access recorded lectures and important announcements, to communicate with other students and lecturers, and to submit assessments and access feedback and grades. Students who are enrolled in either on-campus or online learning will have equal access to support from the lecturer in charge and tutors.
Additional equipment requirements for online learning:
- Reliable broadband access is recommended.
- Headset with microphone to listen to podcasts, view videos and interact in synchronous classes.
ACU Online
This unit uses an active learning approach to support students in the exploration of knowledge essential to the discipline. Students are provided with choice and variety in how they learn. Students are encouraged to contribute to asynchronous weekly discussions. Active learning opportunities provide students with opportunities to practice and apply their learning in situations similar to their future professions. Activities encourage students to bring their own examples to demonstrate understanding, application and engage constructively with their peers. Students receive regular and timely feedback on their learning, which includes information on their progress.
Assessment strategy and rationale
The assessment tasks and their weightings allow pre-service teachers to progressively demonstrate achievement against the learning outcomes by demonstrating academic and professional standards. The unit focuses on developing an understanding of, and skills across the professional knowledge, practice and engagement needed to meet expectations of the Graduate Attributes and the APST: Graduate level.
A range of assessment procedures is used to meet the unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes and professional standards and criteria consistent with University assessment requirements.
Assessment 1 develops pre-service teachers’ understanding of oral language development for children’s literacy, through research and the preparation of teaching resources. Assessment 2 allows pre-service teachers to demonstrate literacy content and pedagogical knowledge in the design of learning and assessment sequences. Assessment 3 develops understanding of the specific literacy needs of learners from EAL/D backgrounds, through analysis of a specific case study.
Minimum Achievement Standards
The assessment tasks for this unit are designed to demonstrate the achievement of each learning outcome. In order to pass this unit, students are required to submit ALL assessment tasks and achieve an overall Pass grade overall.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
Assessment Task 1 Report Pre-service teachers: (1) research and discuss the importance of developing oral language for children’s literacy and intellectual development; (2) select a high-quality children’s picture book for use in the classroom to develop oral language for students in either Foundation year OR year 2 classrooms and justify their selection with reference to the language and visual features of the book; (3) prepare a book orientation script for introducing the book and preparing students for the reading interaction and (4) prepare a set of six questions (2 questions at each of the 3 levels of comprehension) to assess students’ comprehension of the text attending to meanings made by both written language and visual images (5) identify professional organisations and professional learning opportunities to improve knowledge and practice and develop a rationale for ongoing professional learning and the implications for student learning. | 30% | LO1,LO2,LO3,LO4,LO5 |
Assessment Task 2: Sequential Lesson Plan Development Pre-service teachers explain, create and apply understanding of the Gradual Release of Responsibility model (or similar) for planning 4 lessons that are sequential – Two lessons for supporting Reading development and 2 lessons for supporting Writing development in the early years. Reference quality literature and based on the Australian Curriculum or relevant state-based curriculum content. Effective strategies for differentiation must be included as well as appropriate assessment strategies in each lesson. | 40% | LO1,LO2,LO3,LO4 |
Assessment Task 3: Case Study Pre-service teachers analyse the literacy needs of a case study child with English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D) in Foundation year, Year 1 OR Year 2. Pre-service teachers should: (1) Develop and apply a list of assessment criteria to assess K-2 EAL/D children’s writing samples (2) Write a summary to report the students’ achievement against the EAL/D Learning Progression (3) Write constructive feedback to the children and suggest how they could improve their writing. (4) Propose differentiation strategies for supporting the children’s writing development supported by justification from scholarly sources and curriculum documents. (5) Identify professional organisations and professional learning opportunities to improve knowledge and practice of how to teach learners from EAL/D backgrounds. Develop a rationale for ongoing professional learning and the implications for EAL/D student learning. | 30% | LO1,LO2,LO3,LO4,LO5 |
Representative texts and references
Required text(s)
The Australian Curriculum: English.
https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/english/.
National Literacy Learning Progressions:
Thomas, D. & Thomas, A. (Eds.) (2022). Teaching and learning primary English. Oxford University Press.
Hill, S. (2021). Developing early literacy: Assessment and teaching (3rd ed). Eleanor Curtin Publishing.
Recommended references
Blevins, W. (2016). A fresh look at phonics, grades K-2: Common causes of failure and 7 ingredients for success. Corwin Literacy:
Cox, R., Feez, S., & Beveridge, L. (2019). The alphabetic principle and beyond: Surveying the landscape. Primary English Teaching Association Australia (PETAA).
Derewianka, B. (2020). Exploring how texts work (2nd ed.). Primary English Teaching Association (Australia) (PETAA).
Fellowes, J., & Oakley, G. (2020). Language, literacy and early childhood education (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Fisher, D., Frey, N., & Akhavan, N. (2019). This is balanced literacy: Grades K-6. Corwin Literacy
Frey, N., & Fisher. D. (2013). Rigorous reading: 5 access points for comprehending complex texts. Corwin Literacy.
Gambrell, L. B., & Morrow, L. M. (2019). Best practices in literacy instruction (6th ed.). Guilford Press.
Kamhi, A.G., & Catts, H.W. (2014). Language and reading disabilities (3rd ed.). Pearson.
Parkin, B., & Harper, H. (2019). Teaching with intent 2. Primary English Teaching Association Australia (PETAA).
Seely Flint, A., Kitson, L., Lowe.K., Shaw. K., Vicars, M., Feez, S., & Humphrey, S. (2020). Literacy in Australia: Pedagogies for engagement (3rd ed.). Wiley.
Tomkins, G; Smith, C; Campbell, R., & Green, D. (2019). Literacy for the 21st century: A balanced approach (3rd ed.). Pearson.
Winch, G., Johnston, R., March, P., Ljungdahl, L., & Holliday, M. (2020). Literacy: Reading, writing and children’s literature (6th ed.). Oxford University Press.
Woods, A., & Exley, B. (2020). Literacies in early childhood: Foundations for equity and quality. Oxford University Press.