Language and Literacy in the Primary Years 2

In this unit of study pre-service teachers will explore multidimensional aspects of literacy education and the acquisition of literacy skills by critically investigating the organisation of print literary and digital texts. The unit aims to develop a pedagogical understanding of how to teach: compositional techniques, forms of print based and digital representation for receiving and communicating meaning to different audiences and for differing purposes and contexts. Pre-service teachers will be guided to build their repertoire of knowledge of literacy pedagogies and concepts to enable them to integrate theory and practice when planning to teach literacy across the curriculum. Through the unit pre-service teachers will investigate models for developing and responding to students speaking, listening, reading, viewing, writing and creating. Pre-service teachers will also investigate curriculum and assessment rationale to include informal, formal diagnostic, formative, and summative approaches to assessing student learning from Primary years three to six. Pre-service teachers will be introduced to theoretical models of language and literacy to appraise literacy/language learning in the middle years of schooling when responding to diverse learners’ needs and abilities.

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Appraise and critique key debates, principles, theories, approaches to literacy teaching and learning for 21st century and culturally and academically diverse learners;
2. Interrogate the knowledge and capability of students with diverse cultural and academic backgrounds;
3. Implement innovative teaching and learning strategies to develop the confidence and abilities with language and literacy of students with diverse cultural and academic backgrounds;
4. Evaluate assessment strategies for all students, including those from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds, and provide appropriate feedback to students about their literacy learning.
5. Develop a reflective practice of building personal and professional literacy content knowledge, policy, and high-quality pedagogical skills to engage with the teaching community.
6. Participate in an academic community through reflective and critical engagement in academic texts and understanding of principles of academic integrity.