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

2. 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

3. The Reading Teacher Journal Volume 48 1992 Volume 68 2015

5. 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

6. 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

7. Reading Today Magazine September/October 2014

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

9. New HOT topics
digital literacies/new literacies
writing argumentative

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. Example 1

16. 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

17. 17

18. 18

19. 19

20. 20

21. 21

22. 22

23. 23

24. 24

25. A Happy Ending – Fluffy finds a Home!25

26. Example 2

27. Sri Lanka
Batticaloa
2013
2012
Colombo
Mullaittivu
2015

29. Tsunami 26 December 2004

30. 2011 census:
70% are Buddhists
13% are Hindus
10% are Muslims
7% are Christian – Catholic + others

31. 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;

32. 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

33. 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.

39. 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

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

41. 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

42. 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

43. Tree of life - வாழ்க்கை மரம்

45. Demonstration teaching

46. Master Teachers engaging in an activity

47. The Master Teachers debrief the lesson

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

49. During activity - spelling

52. After activity – Cloze activity

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

61. a blend

62. Thank You