1. Week 9
English, Literacies and Policy Contexts A

2. Next week:Canadian Lead Visit
Venue: Canadian Lead PS
Time:
Focus: Teaching reading in early years classrooms (Conducting lessons)
Breakfast Club: Donations welcome.

3. Assessment Task 2 – Planning Task: Portrait of a Literacy Learner
Due date: Friday 19th May
Details of task: In this assignment you are developing your teacher eyes by focussing on a young
literacy learner.
PART 1
Choose a young child to work with during your placement.
Find out as much as you can about the child in relation to their literacy strengths.
What are their interests?
How do they use literacy in and outside of the classroom?
How do they use language?
What can they do as a reader?
What can they do as a writer?
Make links to the readings/ideas in this unit where appropriate.
Provide evidence/work samples where appropriate.
PART 2
In the second part of this assignment you need to think of how you might develop a learning plan for this child.
How do the ways in which the child learns literacy reflect some of the theoretical ideas presented in this unit?
How would you plan for this learner?
What knowledge and skills would you focus on in relation to reading, writing and oral language?
What kinds of resources would you use?
How would you encourage parents to support the learner at home?
Word count: 2500 words. Limit: 2800 words
Weighting/Value: 60%

4. Criteria
Weighting
Describes a young literacy learner in terms of competencies in reading, writing, speaking, listening and viewing. Makes reference to course ideas and readings. 20
Connects the child’s literacy learning to theoretical perspectives and refers to course readings. 10
Makes appropriate pedagogical suggestions for the child’s literacy development at home and school. Refers to course ideas and readings.
Quality of presentation of work, including proofreading and referencing
Total 60

5. High Distinction Distinction Credit Pass Fail
Describes a young literacy learner in terms of what they can do in relation to reading, writing, speaking, listening and viewing and makes reference to the ideas and readings presented in the course
20 marks
Describes a young literacy learner in terms of what they can do in relation to reading, writing, speaking, listening and viewing and makes critical informed connections to many of the ideas and readings presented in the course
Describes a young literacy learner in terms of what they can do in relation to reading, writing, speaking, listening and viewing and makes very good informed connections to many of the ideas and readings presented in the course
Describes a young literacy learner in terms of what they can do in relation to reading, writing, speaking, listening and viewing and makes good connections to some of the ideas and readings presented in the course
Describes a young literacy learner in terms of what they can do in relation to reading, writing, speaking, listening and viewing and attempts to make reference to the ideas and readings presented in the course
Does not adequately describe a young literacy learner in terms of what they can do in relation to reading, writing, speaking, listening and viewing and does not make reference to the ideas and readings presented in the course
Makes theoretical connections in relation to how the child learns literacy making reference to the ideas and readings presented in the course
10 marks
Explains the way in which the child learns literacy and shows a critical understanding of many of the theoretical ideas presented through the readings and in the course.
Explains the way in which the child learns literacy and shows a very good understanding of many of the theoretical ideas presented through the readings and in the course.
Explains the way in which the child learns literacy and shows a good understanding of the theoretical ideas presented through the readings and in the course.
Attempts to explain how the child learns literacy by making some links to the theoretical ideas presented through the readings and in the course.
Does not adequately make theoretical connections in relation to how the child learns literacy and does not make reference to the ideas and readings presented in the course
Makes appropriate pedagogical suggestions for the child’s literacy development at home and school and makes reference to the ideas and readings presented in the course
Makes appropriate pedagogical suggestions for the child’s literacy development at home and school and makes critical informed conncections to many of the ideas and readings presented in the course
Makes appropriate pedagogical suggestions for the child’s literacy development at home and school and makes very good informed connections to many of the ideas and readings presented in the course
Makes appropriate pedagogical suggestions for the child’s literacy development at home and school and makes good connections to some of the ideas and readings presented in the course
Makes appropriate pedagogical suggestions for the child’s literacy development at home and school and attempts to make reference to the ideas and readings presented in the course
Does not make adequate and/or appropriate pedagogical suggestions for the child’s literacy development at home and school and does not make reference to the ideas and readings presented in the course
Work is well presented well including proofreading for spelling and grammatical errors and consistent and accurate referencing.
Work has been proofread for spelling. Shows a very good understanding of grammar. Ideas are expressed very clearly and succinctly. Correct use of paragraphs. Accurate referencing and consistent style.
Work has been proofread for spelling. Shows a very good understanding of grammar. Ideas are expressed clearly. Correct use of paragraphs. Accurate referencing and consistent style.
Work has been proofread for spelling. Shows a good understanding of grammar. Cohesive writing style. Use of paragraphs. A deliberate attempt to acknowledge sources and consistent referencing style.
Work has been proofread for spelling. Shows an understanding of grammar. Generally writing is easy to follow. Use of paragraphs. A deliberate attempt to acknowledge sources.
Work presented is not of a sufficiently high standard, this may include lack of proofreading for spelling and grammatical errors and inaccurate referencing.

6. Individual Learning Plan
General Goals
Entry Skills
Specific Outcome Target
Strategies to be used
Reading
Writing
Speaking & Listening .

7. SMART Goals
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time bound

8. Collecting Data: Running Records
YouTube links:

9. Collecting and Analysing Data: Work Samples

10. Monitoring and Assessment
In groups discuss and list:
the differences between monitoring and assessment.
the differences between formal and informal assessment.
the differences between assessing for learning and the assessment of learning.
What data have you collected
about your focus student?
Monitoring and Assessment

11. Classroom Planning
In groups outline the major features of a reading session in an early years classroom.
What does the classroom look like?
What does the teacher do? When? How? Why?
What do the students do? When? How? Why?
How is ICT incorporated into learning activities?
How/when do teachers explicitly
teach skills and strategies?
List any other contributing
factors.

12. Classroom Planning
In groups outline the major features of a writing session in an early years classroom.
What does the classroom look like?
What does the teacher do? When? How? Why?
What do the students do? When? How? Why?
How is ICT utilised?
How/when do teachers explicitly
teach skills and strategies?
List any other contributing
factors.

13. Managing Literacy Learning
There are three main ways to plan a literacy curriculum:
by subject areas
multidisciplinary
integrated
Many teachers use a combination (Hill, 2012, p )
What have you seen in the classrooms you have visited?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of each approach (PMI)

14. CAFÉ, VCOP, Investigations and ...
What literacy programs have you
observed in schools?
How do they fit with the approaches and strategies that Tompkins et al outlines?

15. Phonics Where does phonics fit into the literacy program?
What have you seen in schools?
What, how and when should phonics be taught?

16. A Balanced Approach
Luke and Freebody advocate that ‘an effective reader has to adopt four roles: code breaker, text participant, text user and text analyst’ (Tompkins et al., 2015, p. 3).
How is the Four Resources/Four Roles of the Reader Model incorporated into the Victorian Curriculum, English?
What are you seeing in schools?

17. Cooperative Learning Strategies
How can cooperative learning be developed within the literacy program? What are the advantages/disadvantages with this approach? (PMI)
In groups create a list of small group cooperative activities that would support:
Reading
Writing
Oral Language

18. Inclusive Strategies for Diverse Learners: Differentiated Instruction
In groups discuss the following:
What is differentiated instruction?
Why and when do teachers differentiate literacy instruction?
How is literacy instruction differentiated?
What are you seeing in schools?
(See Tompkins et al Ch 11)

19. Teaching Diverse Literacy Learners
Discuss and list the varying reasons for learner diversity?
What challenges or barriers to learning do these students encounter?
What inclusive strategies allow teachers to effectively support the literacy learning of diverse individuals and groups?
What have you seen in schools?

20. The Literacy Program
Questions
Concerns
Reflections