Language and Literacy: F to Year 2 (EDUC91079)

This subject introduces Teacher Candidates to theory, research and practice which informs teaching language and literacy in the early years of schooling. Emphasis is on theoretical perspectives of literacy acquisition which highlight the reciprocal relationship between oral language, reading and writing, and an understanding of literacy as a social practice. Essential aspects of early reading and writing are prioritised, especially phonological development including phonemic awareness, reading comprehension, phonics, oral language, vocabulary, reading fluency, language and grammar.

Teacher Candidates will develop specialised subject content knowledge for teaching and monitoring the language and literacy development of diverse early years learners, and of how this is organised in the Australian/Victorian English Curricula. Teacher Candidates will develop knowledge of effective teaching strategies and assessment tools and use the Clinical Teaching Model to identify students’ interests, abilities and needs to inform what to teach next.

Intended learning outcomes

On completion of this subject, Teacher Candidates should be able to:

• Critique theories of early reading and writing development to understand what students learn and how they learn.
• Examine pedagogical practices for teaching early literacy learners which includes managing classroom activities for all students that reflect the interrelatedness of oral language, early reading and writing when planning teaching.
• Assess student learning and analyse and interpret a range of assessment and diagnostic data to make sound and informed judgements about students' diverse learning needs and plan for differentiated teaching including strategies for using ICT.
• Synthesise knowledge of early literacy and language subject content, effective teaching strategies, and student assessment data, to support effective classroom communication and to meet specific and diverse learning needs when planning for improved outcomes for students across the full range of abilities and from diverse linguistic, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Plan, structure and sequence early literacy learning programs for all students, including selection and evaluation of texts for the affordances they bring for the teaching of early reading, writing and oral language.
• Evaluate and improve programs for teaching early literacy including students from diverse backgrounds, for example, English as an additional language, low socio-economic backgrounds, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

Generic skills