Languages and Literacy in Early Childhood

Unit code: ECE6004 | Study level: Postgraduate
Credit points
12
(Generally, 1 credit = 10 hours of classes and independent study.)
Location
City Campus
Online Self-Paced
Prerequisites
N/A
Overview
Enquire

Overview

This unit focuses on making meaning through language and literacy practices in early childhood education. Underpinning this unit is the recognition that language and literacy are social acts, representative of power in navigating life. Meaning making occurs through language and literacy experiences that hold purpose in rich, thoughtful environments and which include critical and multi-literacy experiences. Positioning children as capable and competent (including children with English as an additional language), allows for children's learning to be understood as complex and contextual, and offers ways to build language and literacy experiences on children's existing knowledge and understandings.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:

  1. Analyse how language and literacy operate as complex and contextual social acts that create and sustain power relations.
  2. Articulate ways multi-literacies are generated by capable young children and how they contribute to how young children engage with literacy and language.
  3. Devise a range of curriculum that supports complex meaning making in language and literacy in diverse early childhood contexts.
  4. Demonstrate an understanding of supporting children's language and literacy learning in rich environments, including children with English as an additional language.

Assessment

For Melbourne campuses

Assessment type: Assignment
|
Grade: 30%
Create a podcast discussing personal literacy and language journey
Assessment type: Essay
|
Grade: 30%
Write an essay discussing current issues/debates/discussions in language and literacy including English as additional language
Assessment type: Exercise
|
Grade: 40%
Using the view of children as capable, create a sequence of language and literacy experiences for a range of ages in early childhood

Required reading

All readings will be available on VU Collaborate.

As part of a course

This unit is not compulsory for any specific course. Depending on the course you study, this unit may be taken as an elective.

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