1. Literacy is Everyone’s Business
Starting Out Strong Beginning Teachers’ Conference
Literacy is Everyone’s Business
Presenter: Anne Cowell
Role: Best Start Officer

2. English is
the study and use of the English language in its various textual forms. As students’ command of English grows, they are able to question, assess, challenge and reformulate information and use creative and analytical language to identify and clarify issues and solve problems.

3. Literacy is
the ability to understand and evaluate meaning through reading and writing, listening and speaking, viewing and representing.
This is about making sense of these things.

4. Literacy is not a school subject or a syllabus!

5. Literacies. Literacy of Science and Scientific literacy
Literacy of Mathematics and Mathematical literacy
Literacy of English and English literacy
Literacy of History and Historical literacy

6. The nature and significance of literacy learning
A skill that underpins many other skills
respond
and create
Writing
Reading
Representing
Speaking
Listening
Viewing

7. The student Successful student
Successful literacy learner in your subject
Successful learner of your subject
For our students to succeed - they need to be successful learners of your subject – and can be if they are successful literacy learners in your subject

8. Making connections with the Literacy continuum
Comprehension
Literacy K – 12 Policy
An introduction to quality literacy teaching
Literacy continuum
Reading texts
Aspects of writing
Aspects of speaking
Phonics
Concepts about print
Vocabulary
knowledge
English
Mathematics
Science & Technology
PDHPE
HSIE
Creative
Arts
Phonemic awareness
State: The overarching plan for literacy can be found within the Department of Education and Communities’ Public Schools NSW Strategic Directions The Literacy K-12 Policy (2007) defines literacy and describes the teaching and assessment needed to ensure students develop literacy competence in all areas of learning.
The Literacy K-12 Policy and information in An introduction to quality literacy teaching provide a basis for understanding and implementing a quality literacy program. The research consistently demonstrates that learning is enhanced when teachers adopt an explicit, systematic, balanced and integrated approach to literacy teaching.
It is important to note that the Literacy continuum does NOT replace syllabus documents. It is to be used in conjunction with syllabus documents, as a tool to track the literacy development of each student and hence, to inform teaching and learning.
We will now take a closer look at the Literacy K-12 Policy.

9. Literacy K–12 in NSW DEC
The NSW DEC Literacy K-12 Policy is the foundation for NSW DEC literacy programs and resources.
Several programs and initiatives use the Literacy Continuum K-10 as a professional learning and teaching tool.
Best Start is Kindergarten.
Focus on Reading 3-6.
An Introduction to quality literacy teaching.

10. All learning areas
While literacy comprises a complex repertoire of knowledge and skills that develop throughout the years of schooling, its practical application is at the core of teaching and learning.
Accordingly, literacy is not a subject in its own right but is fundamental to all learning areas. (An introduction to quality literacy teaching, NSW DET, 2009 p. 11)
Literacy is a general capability included in learning across the curriculum content in the NSW syllabuses for the Australian curriculum.

11. The Literacy continuum K-6
The Literacy continuum describes the development of literacy knowledge, skills and strategies typically expected of most students in eight areas identified as critical to literacy progress.
The continuum maps how each critical aspect develops by identifying key markers of expected student progress across the years of schooling.
These continuum markers support teachers to assess, plan and teach literacy and reinforce the need for continuity in literacy teaching and learning.
Print version
and
Interactive
continuum

12. Using the continuum: Beware!
What the Literacy continuum 7-10 is not:
a checklist
a rubric
a formal assessment tool
intended for use as an A-E summative assessment scale
a dot point list of syllabus outcomes or content points

13. Critical aspects definitions
Literacy continuum
Reading texts
Comprehension
Vocabulary
knowledge
Aspects of writing
Aspects of speaking
Phonics
Phonemic awareness
Concepts about print

14. Critical aspects definitions (con)
Literacy continuum
Reading texts
Comprehension
Vocabulary
knowledge
Aspects of writing
Aspects of speaking
Phonics
Phonemic awareness
Concepts about print

15. Constrained and unconstrained skills
Reading texts
Comprehension
Vocabulary knowledge
Aspects of writing
Aspects of speaking
Phonics
Constrained skills
Phonemic awareness
Concepts about print

16. What are ‘threads’?
Within each aspect, threads indicate areas of knowledge and skills within an overall aspect. For example, Aspects of writing includes the following threads:
Ideas (creating texts)/Purpose/Audience
Planning & text structure
Language features/literary devices
Paragraphing
Sentence structure
Punctuation
Spelling
Handwriting/Computer
Grammar
Editing/proofing
Mediums/Modes Ideas (creating texts)/Purpose/Audience

17. Literacy learners after 1 year at school Literacy learners after 3 years at school
►(spelling)
Attempts to spell high frequency words that have been taught
Demonstrates a range of spelling strategies to spell familiar words
►(sentence structure)
Produces some compound sentences using conjunctions to join ideas
Produces a range of grammatically accurate sentences
►(handwriting)
Uses correct pencil grip, paper placement, posture and knows how to self-correct
Fluently writes letters of consistent size and formation in NSW Foundation style
Explain: The left hand column shows markers for literacy learners after 1 year at school and the column on the right hand side shows markers for literacy learners after 3 years at school, i.e. at the end of Stage 1.
It shows an example of three ‘threads’ within Aspects of writing:
spelling
sentence structure
handwriting.
Emphasise: As stated earlier, the continuum can be ‘read’ in two ways as a whole document.
However, it can also be ‘read’ in two ways within each aspect, i.e.,
horizontally, across to see how the threads within the aspect develop
vertically, down the aspect to see the markers and threads that make up that aspect.
It is important to note that a thread is not necessarily found in all clusters of markers. This does not mean that it disappears, rather that the learning involved with this thread will take longer and will need to be constantly reinforced across the clusters.
Link: The next slide depicts the marker threads for Comprehension, Vocabulary knowledge, Aspects of speaking and Reading texts.

18. Clusters across stages/years
Literacy Continuum K-6
Clusters across stages/years
12 cluster markers
(with school year)
8 Critical Aspects
State: The interactive NSW Literacy continuum has been designed to be viewed online.
Link: We will now look at how to use the interactive continuum.
Scroll bar at bottom

19. NSW Interactive continuum 7–10
Critical aspects
Lea r n i ng
Sequence
Explain: The interactive Literacy continuum K–10 is user-friendly and versatile. It provides a number of viewing perspectives to build a profile of student learning and support planning and programming. In contrast to the print version, the clusters on the interactive continuum appear vertically.
Use these notes below only if you have chosen to use the link and go online. Otherwise move to next slide now and resume at slide 41 .
By hovering over a cluster of markers, the markers enlarge for easy reading. Clicking on the four edges of a cluster of markers moves the view to the four adjoining clusters.
Click:
In this way, the critical aspects connect 'up and down' and also 'across'.
Click.
State: Reading 'up and down’ identifies what learning has come before as well as what teaching needs to occur next. Reading 'across' helps to identify the connections between areas of literacy to assist teachers integrate student learning.
Reading the continuum in these ways is helpful to identify ‘starting points’ for a student or group of students, to plan ‘where to’ next , to track and monitor learning and to group students.
State: Other interactive features are found on the top task bar. The Collapse feature offers a select view of one or more clusters across all aspects and helps you to track student learning and plan for teaching and learning experiences that are systematic, well sequenced and explicit. The Expand feature restores the original view.
State: The Compare feature allows you to view and print up to three clusters at once and support the development of differentiated programs which provide appropriate learning opportunities for a range of learning needs.
State: By clicking on Links, you can access a range of other interactive features. DEC Links provides access to Teaching ideas for each cluster of markers on the continuum, as well as other useful NSW DEC resources.
On Shared links, you can also access shared resources developed by teachers across NSW or post resources of your own.
On My links, you can bookmark your own resources to help you with programming and unit design.

20. State: By hovering over a cluster of markers, the markers enlarge for easy reading.

21. State: Hover over a marker box and then click the box for this function. Clicking on each of the four edges of a cluster of markers moves the view to adjoining clusters.
Click.
In this way, the critical aspects connect 'up and down' and also 'across'.
Reading 'up and down’, identifies what learning has come before as well as what teaching needs to occur next. Reading 'across' helps to identify the connections between areas of literacy to assist teachers integrate student learning.
Reading the continuum in these ways is helpful to identify ‘starting points’ for a student or group of students, to plan ‘where to’ next, to track and monitor learning and to group students.

22. State: Other interactive features are found on the top task bar.
The Collapse feature offers a select view of one or more clusters across all aspects and helps you to track student learning and plan for teaching and learning experiences that are systematic, well sequenced and explicit. The Expand feature restores the original view.
Click.

23. State: The Compare feature allows you to view and print up to three clusters at once and support the development of differentiated programs which provide appropriate learning opportunities for a range of learning needs.

24. State: By clicking on Links, you can access a range of other interactive features.

25. State: DEC Links provides access to Teaching ideas for each cluster of markers on the continuum, as well as other useful NSW DEC resources.
Under development are Shared links for accessing shared resources developed by teachers across NSW or posting resources of your own.
Also under development is My links for you to bookmark your own resources to help you with programming and unit design.

26. Examples of Teaching Ideas
Markers for the cluster (in the aspect)
Teaching Ideas with instructions.
Teaching ideas examples

27. State: The Teaching ideas are in PDF form and are able to be downloaded and saved or printed. These teaching ideas were developed by practising classroom teachers and many can be adapted into lessons across the curriculum. Many ideas are easily transferable from one subject area to another.

28. Where do I find the continuum ?
There are two ways of accessing the Literacy K-10 continuum through:
1. An A1 (K-6) and A2 (7-10) print or ‘poster’ version is available as a PDF and to download go to:
2. As an online interactive version
Explain: The print version includes two documents, K-6 and These are designed to sit next to each other in order to be read across. This design emphasises the continuity of literacy development from through to Year 10 and bridges the transition between primary and secondary school learning.

29. At the school level… Schools can use the Literacy continuum K-6 to:
encourage the whole school community to take collective responsibility for the development of students’ literacy skills
engage teachers in using the process of explicit and systematic teaching
support teachers to make informed, consistent judgements about students’ literacy progress
develop targets for literacy learning in every school year
track and monitor literacy skills development across the whole school, stage and/or year level
identify those students in need of intervention to improve their literacy skills
connect teacher professional learning to the critical aspect/s that the data shows is in need of development
increase parents’ understanding of literacy and its development in students throughout their schooling
increase parents’ understanding of ‘school language’ used to describe the literacy learner.

30. Teachers can use the Literacy continuum K-6 to:
develop / strengthen their knowledge of the development of critical aspects of literacy
engender a more systematic understanding of student literacy development
provide a better understanding of prior literacy learning and where next to focus teaching
gather student information for formative and summative assessment purposes
determine starting points for their literacy teaching
plan for ‘where to next’
identify the strengths, weaknesses and needs of individual students
inform appropriate grouping of students for effective teaching
track and monitor students’ literacy progress in their class
provide feedback to students about their literacy progress
inform students of the explicit criteria needed in order to attain the next level of learning
integrate the development of literacy skills with content knowledge across Key Learning Areas
participate in a consistent and collegial approach to using assessment, planning for teaching and instruction in the classroom.

31. At the student level… A student can use the Literacy continuum K-6 to:
identify what he/she can do at given points in time
monitor his/her own literacy progress over time
understand how well his/her learning has been performed
determine what strategies could be used to attain the next level of learning
reflect on his/her literacy learning
make the connection between literacy learning and successful life skills
make the connection between literacy development and learning in all Key Learning Areas
support peers to understand literacy skills and knowledge across critical aspects and clusters.

32. Speaking
It takes time for students to have high – level classroom discussions . They need plenty of practice with informal conversation in pairs and triads. Students need to be talking and not sitting passively for long periods. For every 5-8 minutes you talk, give them 1-2 minutes to talk to each other about what you have just said.
Think – pair – share
Show Revisit, Reflect, Retell – Linda Hoyt

33. Writing
Just like conversation, writing helps us make connections to our learning and make connections to our own lives and other’s lives. You can’t avoid thinking when you write. Students need to be writing every day, in every classroom.
Use stop and jots.
One – minute essay.
Graffiti conversations/

34. Reading
We need to inspire both a love for reading and in reading in our students. Reading for a purpose, making predictions and using graphic organisers will support all our students.
Hold up this book. Googling reading strategies would be of use.

35. How to Order Continuums
Yvonne Hughes is the Numeracy Advisor K-6 
Annette Gray is the Literacy Advisor K-6

36. Other resources.
Some great ideas in PDHPE but useful in all KLA’s. Literacy training. Useful sections. Interesting quick read.

37. BOSTES http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/7-10-literacy-numeracy/
Excellent resource.
Hand out.

38. BOSTES – Engaging Students Through Literacy and Numeracy.
Kerry Sheehan – Project Coordinator Louise Ward – English Inspector Peter Osland – Mathematics Inspector
Board Of Studies Teaching & Educational Standards (BOSTES)
We used to have Board of Studies and The Institute for Accreditation. In 2014 they merged and became BOSTES.

39. Presenter
Anne Cowell Best Start Officer Wagga Office