What are the keys to unlocking early literacy? Associate Professor Janet Condy

Sequence of my presentation 1. What the latest journals are publishing on early literacy 2. What Kieran Egan says about imagination and literacy 3. Example – Fluffy 4. Example – Teaching literacy in Sri Lanka 5. Conclusion

The Reading Teacher Journal Volume 48 1992 Volume 68 2015

What were the HOT topics from this investigation 7 articles were about Text types 6 articles were about Research to practice, Common Core, Digital literacy 5 articles were about Culturally responsive teaching 4 articles were about Vocabulary and Picture books 3 articles were about Writing, Comprehension, Assessment Engagement, Partnerships with families 2 articles were about Speaking and listening, Letter learning Empowering teachers, Read Alouds 1 article was about Policy, Fluency, Children’s literature Language detectives, Humour in children’s books

What content is included in the articles on Text Types Closely reading informational texts in the primary grades Teaching difficult text: Using close reading for text success The right text at the right time Expanding the range of text types used in the primary grades Evaluating texts for graphical literacy instruction: the graphic rating tool Instructional challenges in developing young children’s science concepts: Using informational text Read-Alouds What research says about text complexity and learning to read Selecting texts and tasks for content area reading and learning Exploring culturally relevant texts with kindergartners and their families

Reading Today Magazine September/October 2014

The HOT topics from Reading Today (September/October 2014) College and career readiness High-stakes assessment Informational/nonfiction texts Text complexity

New HOT topics digital literacies/new literacies writing argumentative

Imagination is too often the seen as something peripheral to the core of education Imagination should be central to education Engaging student’s imaginations in learning is one key to successful teaching Connecting emotions is part of imaginative work

Kieran Egan (Simon Fraser University in British Columbia) Cognitive tools to engage emotions Story Metaphor Binary opposites Rhyme, rhythm and pattern Jokes and humour Mental imagery Gossip Play Mystery

These cognitive tools May be seen as a more natural and sensible way to think about how we go about teaching and engaging students in learning We connect with our prior lived experiences and connect with emotions Gives us force, energy and a richer meaning to our reading Provide different insights to our reading Introduce us to abstract ideas Makes us aware of oppositions in our lives

Stimulates our imagination and creativity across all subject areas Rhyme, rhythm and pattern aid our memorization Jokes help us to pay more attention to understanding our language Mental imagery stays with us for a life time Play helps us to develop self-control, think of the world as being freed from constraints Teachers make explicit reference to these cognitive tools

Example 1

How have I used imagination in my teaching? Fluffy experience 2007 43 first-year, second language students registered to be trained as teachers Oral culture of telling stories Many of the students had never been into a library Project focused on a ‘teddy bear’, cameras and journals

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A Happy Ending – Fluffy finds a Home! 25

Example 2

Sri Lanka Batticaloa 2013   2012 Colombo Mullaittivu 2015

Tsunami 26 December 2004

2011 census: 70% are Buddhists 13% are Hindus 10% are Muslims 7% are Christian – Catholic + others

The overall aims of the Active Teaching and Learning Approaches in Schools (ATLAS) project Acquire a set of easy-to-use teaching techniques that are content relevant, participatory and child-centered; Develop an understanding of the connection between instruction and assessment; Gain access to various forms of monitoring student learning; Establish the ability to plan and deliver effective lessons;

Adapt or create suitable materials to support lessons; Develop an understanding of appropriate classroom management strategies; and Acquire a diagnostic teaching approach as a habit for reflecting on their understanding and in supporting others as teacher leaders

The ATLAS project has been highly successful and that there has been a significant move from Teacher Centred to Child Centred learning  High yield classroom pedagogies were more evident in the Master Teachers’ classrooms  Teachers’ attitudes towards teaching and learning were more positive  Student data indicates that the average of all Student Marks in the Master Teacher classrooms increased from April to December 2013;  The Training Program and model of support was highly successful and the program took into account the context and met both the group and individual needs of participants;  Principals have highly valued the program and can report observable changes in classrooms.

Teaching and learning framework Learner Text Context Before/Input During/Practice After/Task முன் / உள்ளீடு eilKiwg;gLj;Jk; NghJ / பயிற்சி gzpapd; gpd; கற்பவர் கற்பவர் கற்பவர் உரை உரை உரை சூழல் சூழல் சூழல்

Learning and Assessment - கற்றல் மற்றும் மதிப்பீடு Teach Re-Assess Reflect on teaching & learning Re-Teach மதிப்பீடு kPs; fw;wy; fw;wy; kPs; மதிப்பீடு

Strategies I demonstrate, practiced by the teachers and we debrief the lesson Every Pupil Response Vocabulary activities Matching activities Tiered words Magic squares Readers theatre Cloze technique Venn diagram Tiered words – vocabulary My Turn Your Turn Think Aloud Tree of Life KWLS Comprehension strategies Jigsaw Writing process Anticipation Guides Motivation and response to reading Mentoring

Thorns – challenges, risks, threats Fruits – what gifts have I been given Leaves- significant people Branches- hopes, dreams, wishes Trunk - what are my strengths Ground- activities I am involved with now Roots – where do you come from, family, history, favourite place at home, song, dance

Tree of life - வாழ்க்கை மரம்

Demonstration teaching

Master Teachers engaging in an activity

The Master Teachers debrief the lesson

An example of a lesson in a school Before activity - Poem

During activity - spelling

After activity – Cloze activity

What are the keys to unlocking early literacy? Conclusion My initial question was What are the keys to unlocking early literacy?

a blend

Thank You