Students

ECH 433 – Issues in Developmental Literacy

2014 – S2 External

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Emilia Djonov
Contact via emilia.djonov@mq.edu.au
X5B276
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
(39cp including (ECH231 or ECH214)) or admission to GDipAdvStEc
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Offered with ECH433 external offerings (shared recorded lectures)
Unit description Unit description
This unit builds on knowledge gained in ECH231 and furthers students' knowledge of children's language and literacy development and the role of English across the curriculum in prior-to-school and primary school (K-6) settings. Taking a multiliteracies research-informed perspective, students have opportunities to analyse children's reading and writing processes; explore, design, implement and evaluate strategies for assessing and promoting children's literacy development through a range of literary and factual (multimodal) texts; and examine literacy programming options in both prior-to-school and school-based settings. The unit emphasises the role of literacy education in promoting social justice for children experiencing difficulties in literacy learning, Indigenous and EAL-D (English as an additional language or dialect) learners.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

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

  • Critical individual and collaborative engagement with research on multiliteracies, including new literacies and visual, multimodal and critical literacy
  • Critical understanding of the roles adults play in children’s literacy development, of oral language as foundational for literacy success, and of the development of reading, writing, and multimodal and critical literacy
  • Understanding of the role and value of language and literacy across the curriculum in prior-to-school and school (K-6) contexts
  • Skills in exploring, designing, implementing and evaluating strategies for assessing and promoting children’s literacy development through a range of literary and factual (multimodal) texts and for a range of children from different socio-cultural contexts and with different abilities
  • Ability to examine and evaluate literacy programming options in both prior-to-school and school-based settings
  • Strong understanding of the role of literacy education in promoting social justice for children experiencing in literacy learning, Indigenous and EAL-D (English as an additional language or dialect) learners

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Due
Study groups 50% 2 part submission
Literacy profile 50% week 13

Study groups

Due: 2 part submission
Weighting: 50%

Study group members share resources and ideas, establish positions on key topics, and meet with a tutor to refine thinking. Summary submissions and annotated bibliographies are individual.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Critical individual and collaborative engagement with research on multiliteracies, including new literacies and visual, multimodal and critical literacy
  • Critical understanding of the roles adults play in children’s literacy development, of oral language as foundational for literacy success, and of the development of reading, writing, and multimodal and critical literacy
  • Understanding of the role and value of language and literacy across the curriculum in prior-to-school and school (K-6) contexts
  • Skills in exploring, designing, implementing and evaluating strategies for assessing and promoting children’s literacy development through a range of literary and factual (multimodal) texts and for a range of children from different socio-cultural contexts and with different abilities
  • Ability to examine and evaluate literacy programming options in both prior-to-school and school-based settings
  • Strong understanding of the role of literacy education in promoting social justice for children experiencing in literacy learning, Indigenous and EAL-D (English as an additional language or dialect) learners

Literacy profile

Due: week 13
Weighting: 50%

Students will construct a literacy profile of one learner, identify a focus area for literacy support, plan and implement a literacy program. Strategies, formative and summative evaluations will be presented to peers and submitted for asessment.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Critical individual and collaborative engagement with research on multiliteracies, including new literacies and visual, multimodal and critical literacy
  • Critical understanding of the roles adults play in children’s literacy development, of oral language as foundational for literacy success, and of the development of reading, writing, and multimodal and critical literacy
  • Understanding of the role and value of language and literacy across the curriculum in prior-to-school and school (K-6) contexts
  • Skills in exploring, designing, implementing and evaluating strategies for assessing and promoting children’s literacy development through a range of literary and factual (multimodal) texts and for a range of children from different socio-cultural contexts and with different abilities
  • Ability to examine and evaluate literacy programming options in both prior-to-school and school-based settings
  • Strong understanding of the role of literacy education in promoting social justice for children experiencing in literacy learning, Indigenous and EAL-D (English as an additional language or dialect) learners

Delivery and Resources

Delivery, resources and technologies are summarised below:    

The unit is taught through lectures, large group tutorials and small study groups in which students research assigned topics and meet for discussion with staff. Scenario based planning, assessment tasks and workshop sessions are included in tutorials. Assignments enable the development of the ability to position oneself in current research-informed literacy debates as well as to teach effectively within diverse contexts. Research-literature searches are required to meet assignment criteria as is the contribution to a writing portfolio which is shared in tutorial writing circles. External students must listen to recorded lectures and contribute to on-line discussions as well as participating in the mandatory on-campus sessions.

 

Texts: Required  

Flint, A. S., Kitson, L., Lowe, K., & Shaw, K. (2014). Literacy in Australia: Pedagogies for Engagement. Milton, Queensland: John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd. 

Hill, S. (2012). Developing early literacy: Assessment and teaching. (2nd ed).South Yarra, Victoria: Eleanor Curtain Publishing.

NSW Board of Studies (2012). English K-10 syllabus and support materials. Sydney: NSW Board of Studies.

 

Highly Recommended:

Australian Government: Department of Education, Science & Training. (2005). Teaching reading: Report and recommendations of the National Inquiry into the Teaching of Literacy. Canberra: DEST.

Callow, J. (2013). The Shape of Texts to Come. Sydney: iLit/PETA.

Christie, J., Enz, B., Vukelich, C., & Roskos, K. (2013). Teaching language and literacy: Preschool through the elementary grades (5th ed). Boston: Pearson.

Education Department of Western Australia (2006). First Steps [any two of Maps of Development and Resource books for Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening]

Fellowes, J. & Oakley, G. (2010). Language, literacy and early childhood education. South Melbourne, Victoria: Oxford University Press.

Healy, A (2008) (Ed). Multiliteracies and diversity in education: New pedagogies for expanding landscapes. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.

Kalantzis, M., & Cope, B. (2012). LiteraciesPort Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: Cambridge University Press. 

Makin, L., Jones Diaz, C & McLachlan, C. (Eds).(2007) Literacies in childhood: Changing views, challenging practice. (2nd ed). Sydney: MacLennan & Petty.

McLachlan, C., Nicholson, T., Fielding-Barnsley, R., Mercer, L., & Ohi, S. (2013). Literacy in Early Childhood and Primary Education: Issues, Challenges and Solutions. Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: Cambridge University Press. 

NSW Department of Education and Training and NSW Department of Community Services (2001). Literacies, communities and under fives: the early literacy and social justice project. Sydney.

Power, K. (2005). Changing perceptions of literacy: Local literacies in Indigenous and early childhood communities. Journal of Australian research in early childhood education. 12 (1) pp11-21.

Winch, G, Johnston, R.R., March, P., Ljungdahl, L. and Holliday, M. (2010). Literacy: reading, writing and children’s literature (4th edition). South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.

Unit Schedule

Module 1: Establishing the frame for literacy learning

  • Theoretical frames for multiple literacies
  • Emergent literacy and play-based learning
  • Multimodal literacy, children's literature and popular culture

Module 2: Literacy Pedagogies

  • Scaffolding developing readers
  • Scaffolding developing writers
  • Teaching spelling, grammar, and genre
  • Supporting the literacy development of children experiencing learning difficulties
  • Record-keeping and assessment

Module 3: Socially just implementation

  • Issues in programming
  • Critical Literacy
  • Literacy issues for Indigenous and EAL-D (English as an additional language or dialect) learners

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Assessment Policy  http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html

Grading Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html

Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

Grievance Management Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grievance_management/policy.html

Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.

In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative

We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Critical understanding of the roles adults play in children’s literacy development, of oral language as foundational for literacy success, and of the development of reading, writing, and multimodal and critical literacy
  • Understanding of the role and value of language and literacy across the curriculum in prior-to-school and school (K-6) contexts
  • Skills in exploring, designing, implementing and evaluating strategies for assessing and promoting children’s literacy development through a range of literary and factual (multimodal) texts and for a range of children from different socio-cultural contexts and with different abilities
  • Ability to examine and evaluate literacy programming options in both prior-to-school and school-based settings
  • Strong understanding of the role of literacy education in promoting social justice for children experiencing in literacy learning, Indigenous and EAL-D (English as an additional language or dialect) learners

Assessment tasks

  • Study groups
  • Literacy profile

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Critical individual and collaborative engagement with research on multiliteracies, including new literacies and visual, multimodal and critical literacy
  • Critical understanding of the roles adults play in children’s literacy development, of oral language as foundational for literacy success, and of the development of reading, writing, and multimodal and critical literacy
  • Understanding of the role and value of language and literacy across the curriculum in prior-to-school and school (K-6) contexts
  • Skills in exploring, designing, implementing and evaluating strategies for assessing and promoting children’s literacy development through a range of literary and factual (multimodal) texts and for a range of children from different socio-cultural contexts and with different abilities
  • Ability to examine and evaluate literacy programming options in both prior-to-school and school-based settings

Assessment tasks

  • Study groups
  • Literacy profile

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Critical individual and collaborative engagement with research on multiliteracies, including new literacies and visual, multimodal and critical literacy
  • Critical understanding of the roles adults play in children’s literacy development, of oral language as foundational for literacy success, and of the development of reading, writing, and multimodal and critical literacy
  • Understanding of the role and value of language and literacy across the curriculum in prior-to-school and school (K-6) contexts
  • Skills in exploring, designing, implementing and evaluating strategies for assessing and promoting children’s literacy development through a range of literary and factual (multimodal) texts and for a range of children from different socio-cultural contexts and with different abilities
  • Ability to examine and evaluate literacy programming options in both prior-to-school and school-based settings
  • Strong understanding of the role of literacy education in promoting social justice for children experiencing in literacy learning, Indigenous and EAL-D (English as an additional language or dialect) learners

Assessment tasks

  • Study groups
  • Literacy profile

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Critical individual and collaborative engagement with research on multiliteracies, including new literacies and visual, multimodal and critical literacy
  • Critical understanding of the roles adults play in children’s literacy development, of oral language as foundational for literacy success, and of the development of reading, writing, and multimodal and critical literacy
  • Understanding of the role and value of language and literacy across the curriculum in prior-to-school and school (K-6) contexts
  • Skills in exploring, designing, implementing and evaluating strategies for assessing and promoting children’s literacy development through a range of literary and factual (multimodal) texts and for a range of children from different socio-cultural contexts and with different abilities
  • Ability to examine and evaluate literacy programming options in both prior-to-school and school-based settings
  • Strong understanding of the role of literacy education in promoting social justice for children experiencing in literacy learning, Indigenous and EAL-D (English as an additional language or dialect) learners

Assessment tasks

  • Study groups
  • Literacy profile

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Critical individual and collaborative engagement with research on multiliteracies, including new literacies and visual, multimodal and critical literacy
  • Understanding of the role and value of language and literacy across the curriculum in prior-to-school and school (K-6) contexts
  • Skills in exploring, designing, implementing and evaluating strategies for assessing and promoting children’s literacy development through a range of literary and factual (multimodal) texts and for a range of children from different socio-cultural contexts and with different abilities
  • Ability to examine and evaluate literacy programming options in both prior-to-school and school-based settings
  • Strong understanding of the role of literacy education in promoting social justice for children experiencing in literacy learning, Indigenous and EAL-D (English as an additional language or dialect) learners

Assessment tasks

  • Study groups
  • Literacy profile

Creative and Innovative

Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Skills in exploring, designing, implementing and evaluating strategies for assessing and promoting children’s literacy development through a range of literary and factual (multimodal) texts and for a range of children from different socio-cultural contexts and with different abilities
  • Strong understanding of the role of literacy education in promoting social justice for children experiencing in literacy learning, Indigenous and EAL-D (English as an additional language or dialect) learners

Assessment task

  • Literacy profile

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Critical individual and collaborative engagement with research on multiliteracies, including new literacies and visual, multimodal and critical literacy
  • Skills in exploring, designing, implementing and evaluating strategies for assessing and promoting children’s literacy development through a range of literary and factual (multimodal) texts and for a range of children from different socio-cultural contexts and with different abilities

Assessment tasks

  • Study groups
  • Literacy profile

Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens

As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Critical individual and collaborative engagement with research on multiliteracies, including new literacies and visual, multimodal and critical literacy
  • Critical understanding of the roles adults play in children’s literacy development, of oral language as foundational for literacy success, and of the development of reading, writing, and multimodal and critical literacy
  • Understanding of the role and value of language and literacy across the curriculum in prior-to-school and school (K-6) contexts
  • Skills in exploring, designing, implementing and evaluating strategies for assessing and promoting children’s literacy development through a range of literary and factual (multimodal) texts and for a range of children from different socio-cultural contexts and with different abilities
  • Strong understanding of the role of literacy education in promoting social justice for children experiencing in literacy learning, Indigenous and EAL-D (English as an additional language or dialect) learners

Assessment tasks

  • Study groups
  • Literacy profile

Socially and Environmentally Active and Responsible

We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Critical individual and collaborative engagement with research on multiliteracies, including new literacies and visual, multimodal and critical literacy
  • Critical understanding of the roles adults play in children’s literacy development, of oral language as foundational for literacy success, and of the development of reading, writing, and multimodal and critical literacy
  • Skills in exploring, designing, implementing and evaluating strategies for assessing and promoting children’s literacy development through a range of literary and factual (multimodal) texts and for a range of children from different socio-cultural contexts and with different abilities
  • Ability to examine and evaluate literacy programming options in both prior-to-school and school-based settings
  • Strong understanding of the role of literacy education in promoting social justice for children experiencing in literacy learning, Indigenous and EAL-D (English as an additional language or dialect) learners

Assessment tasks

  • Study groups
  • Literacy profile