General Submission Information

Please format assessments using 12-point font and 1.5 spacing. All assessments must be submitted electronically. Turnitin plagiarism detection software is used to check all written assessments. It is the responsibility of all students to ensure that their submitted work is in a format compatible with Turnitin software for plagiarism checking. Submissions must meet the required file type and formatting specifications outlined in the assessment guidelines. Failure to submit work in an acceptable format may result in delays in processing your submission and potential penalties for non-compliance with assessment requirements. If you are unsure about the file format or have technical difficulties, it is your responsibility to seek assistance before the submission deadline. Students should be careful to check that they submit the correct file for an assessment as no re-submissions will be accepted after the due date and time, including instances where students upload an incorrect file. It is not the responsibility of unit staff to contact students who have failed to submit assessments. If you have any missing items of assessment, it is your responsibility to contact the unit convenor. Students can use Turnitin’s Originality Report as a learning tool to improve their academic writing if this option is made available in the unit. Word limits are strictly applied. Work above the word limit will not be marked.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Students should be aware of and apply the University policy on academic integrity (see: https://policies.mq.edu.au/document/view.php?id=3). Any student suspected of using unauthorised AI in an assignment will be referred to the Faculty of Arts Discipline Committee. Penalties can include reduced marks for an assessment, being awarded '0' for a task, failing an entire unit, being excluded from a course of study. Please see each assessment task description/rubric for expectations about AI.

Special Consideration / Late Penalties

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day an assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends) (see: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/assessment-exams/special-consideration). Applications for extensions must be made via Service Connect. After the 7th day, a mark of 0 (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11:55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue. This late penalty will apply to non-timed sensitive assessments (incl. essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings etc). Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs etc) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special Consideration application. A Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic.

Marking

All assessments are marked using a rubric.

Marking of all assessments is moderated by the Unit Convenor.

University Policy on Grading

Assignments will be awarded grades ranging from HD to F according to guidelines set out in the University's Grading System and University Assessment Policy.

To attain a pass or higher grade in Professional Experience a student must obtain a satisfactory in both the Professional Experience component and a pass or higher grade in the academic component. For Professional Experience units the Professional Experience Evaluation Report is marked as Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. The Macquarie Teaching Performance Assessment (MQTPA - in final WIL/PEx units) is marked as Not met, Met or Exceeds.

Results

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed because they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit Service Connect.

Withdrawing from this unit

If you are considering withdrawing from this unit, please seek academic advice via Service Connect before doing so as this unit may be a co-requisite or prerequisite for units in the following sessions and may impact your course progression.

Textbook

Fellowes, J. & Oakley, G. (2024). Language, literacy and early childhood education (4^th ed.). Oxford University Press.

 

Required curriculum documents:

1. Australian Government Department of Education [AGDE] (2022). Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (V2.0). Australian Government Department of Education for the Ministerial Council. Retrieved from: https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-01/EYLF-2022-V2.0.pdf
2. Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) (2014). Developmental Milestones and the EYLF and National Quality Standards. Barton, ACT: Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved from:  http://files.acecqa.gov.au/files/ACECQA/2014/developmental-milestonesDevelopmental%20Milestones%20and%20the%20EYLF%20and%20the%20NQS.pdf

Required and highly recommended readings

Adam, H. (2021). Transforming practice: Transforming lives through diverse children’s literature. PETAA [Chapter 5, pp. 41-60. “Building a diverse book collection – There is no list!”]

Arthur, L., & Beecher, B. (2014). Pedagogies for extending literacies. In In L. Arthur, J. Ashton, & B. Beecher (Eds.) Diverse literacies and social justice: Implications for practice (pp. 166-191). Australian Council for Educational Research.

Block, M.K., & Duke, N.K. (2015). Letter names can cause confusion and other things to know about letter-sound relationships. Young Children, 70(1), 84-91. Also online: https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/mar2015/letter-sound-relationships

Brand, N., Djonov, E., & Degotardi, S. (2022). Toddler-educator decontextualised talk and its value for toddlers’ learning. Early Years, 1-16.

Cologon, K., & McNaught, M. (2014). Early intervention for literacy learning. In L. Arthur, J. Ashton, & B. Beecher (Eds.) Diverse literacies and social justice: Implications for practice (pp. 146-165). Australian Council for Educational Research.

Comber, B. (2013). Critical literacy in the early years: Emergence and sustenance in an age of accountability. In J. Larson, & J. Marsh (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of early childhood literacy. (2^nd ed., pp. 587-603). SAGE Publications Ltd. doi: 10.4135/9781446247518.n33

Degotardi, S. (2021). The language environment of infant child care: issues of quantity, quality, participation and context. In O. N. Saracho (Ed.), Contemporary perspectives on research on child care in early childhood education (pp. 85-107). (Contemporary perspectives in Early Childhood Education). Information Age Publishing.

Degotardi, S., Han, F., & Torr, J. (2018). Infants’ experience with ‘near and clear’ educator talk: individual variation and its relationship to indicators of quality. International Journal of Early Years Education, 26(3), 278-294. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669760.2018.1479632

Degotardi, S., Torr, J., & Han, F. (2018). Infant educators’ use of pedagogical questioning: Relationships with the context of interaction and educators’ qualifications. Early Education and Development, 29(8), 1004-1018. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2018.1499000

Djonov, E. (2019). Bilingualism and multilingualism in early childhood education (Australia). Bloomsbury Education and Childhood Studies. doi:10.5040/9781350996298.0010

Flewitt, R. S., Nind, M., &  Payler, J. (2009) ‘If she’s left with books she’ll just eat them’: Considering inclusive multimodal literacy practices.  Journal of Early Childhood Literacy 9 (2), 211-233. doi: 10.1177/1468798409105587

Grifenhagen, J. F., Barnes, E. M., Collins, M. F., & Dickinson, D. K. (2017). Talking the talk: translating research to practice. Early Child Development and Care, 187(3-4), 509-526. doi:10.1080/03004430.2016.1246444

Hart, B., & Risley, T. (2003). The early catastrophe: The 30-million word gap by age 3. American Educator, Spring, Retrieved from: http: //archive.aft.org/pubs-reports/american_educator/spring2003/catastrophe.html

Hateley, E. (2014). Touching texts: Adaptations of Australian picture books for tablets. In K. Mallan (Ed.), Picture books and beyond (pp. 108-122). Primary English Teaching Association Australia (PETAA).

Hu, J., Degotardi, S., Torr, J., & Han, F. (2019). Reasoning as a pedagogical strategy in infant-addressed talk in early childhood education centres: Relationships with educators’ qualifications and communicative Function. Early Education and Development, 30(7), 872-886. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2019.1607449

Hu, J., Torr, J., Degotardi, S., & Han, F. (2019). Educators’ use of commanding language to direct infants’ behaviour: relationship to educators’ qualifications and implications for language learning opportunities. Early Years, 39(2), 190-204. https://doi.org/10.1080/09575146.2017.1368008

Lennox, S. (2013). Interactive read-alouds—An Avenue for enhancing children’s language for thinking and understanding: A Review of Recent Research. Early Childhood Education Journal, 41(5), 381-389. doi:10.1007/s10643-013-0578-5

Magruder, E., Hayslip, W., Espinosa, L., & Matera, C. (2013). Many languages, one teacher: Supporting language and literacy development for preschool dual language learners. Young Children, 68(1): 8-15.

Massey, S. L. (2013). From the reading rug to the play center: Enhancing vocabulary and comprehensive language skills by connecting storybook reading and guided play. Early Childhood Education Journal, 41(2), 125-131. doi:10.1007/s10643-012-0524-y

McDonald, L. (2023). A new literature companion for teachers (2^nd ed.). Primary English Teaching Association Australia. [Chapter 6]

Mitchell, K., & Fleet, A. (2014). Aboriginal families and communities: Embracing literacy in the early childhood years. In In L. Arthur, J. Ashton, & B. Beecher (Eds.) Diverse literacies and social justice: Implications for practice (pp. 126-145). Australian Council for Educational Research.

Millard, E., & Bhojwani, P. (2013). Gender and early childhood literacy. In J. Larson, & J. Marsh (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of early childhood literacy. (2^nd ed., pp. 35-51). SAGE Publications Ltd. doi: 10.4135/9781446247518.n33

Nemeth, K. N., & Erdosi, V. (2012). Enhancing practice with infants and toddlers from diverse language and cultural backgrounds. Young Children, 67(4), 49-57.

Newman, K. M., Dickinson, D. K., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, R. M. (2015). Using play to promote language comprehension in preschoolers. In A. DeBruin-Parecki & A. van Kleeck (Eds.), Developing early comprehension: Laying the foundation for reading success (pp. 35-52). Paul H. Brookes.

Schickedanz, J., & Collins, M. (2013). So much more than the ABCs: The early phases of reading and writing. National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Shahaeian, A., Wang, C., Tucker-Drob, E., Geiger, V., Bus, A. G., & Harrison, L. J. (2018). Early Shared Reading, Socioeconomic Status, and Children’s Cognitive and School Competencies: Six Years of Longitudinal Evidence. Scientific Studies of Reading, 22(6), 485–502. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888438.2018.1482901

Snow, C. E. (2008). What counts as literacy in early childhood? In K. McCartney & D. Phillips (Eds.), Blackwell handbook of early childhood development (pp. 274-294). Blackwell Publishing. doi: 10.1002/9780470757703.ch14

Torr, J. (2015). Language development in early childhood: Learning how to mean. In J. Webster (Ed.), The Bloomsbury companion to M. A. K. Halliday (pp. 242-256). Bloomsbury.

Torr, J. (2018). Learning to read. Early Childhood Australia.

Torr, J. (2019). Infants’ experiences of shared reading with their educators in early childhood education and care centres: An observational study. Early Childhood Education Journal, 47(5), 519-529. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-019-00948-2

Torr, J. (2020). How ‘shared’ is shared reading: Book-focused infant–educator interactions in long day-care centres. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 20(4), 815-838. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468798418792038

Torr, J. (2022). Learning how to mean: M. A. K. Halliday and the language of early childhood. In L. E. Cohen & S. Waite-Stupiansky (Eds.), Theories of Early Childhood: Developmental, Behaviorist, and Critical. (2nd Edition) (pp. 75-87). Routledge.

Torr, J. (2023). Reading Picture Books with Infants and Toddlers: Learning Through Language. Routledge.

Torr, J., & Pham, L. (2016). Educator talk in long day care nurseries: How context shapes meaning. Early Childhood Education Journal, 44(3), 245-254. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-015-0705-6

Webb, G. L., & Williams, C. J. (2018). Factors affecting language and literacy development in Australian Aboriginal children: Considering dialect, culture and health. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 16(1), 104–116. https://doi.org/10.1177/1476718X17693417

Weisberg, D. S., Zosh, J. M., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, R. M. (2013). Talking it up: Play, language development, and the role of adult support. American Journal of Play, 6(1), 39-53.

Whorrall, J., & Cabell, S. Q. (2016). Supporting children’s oral language development in the preschool classroom. Early Childhood Education Journal, 44(4), 335-341. doi: 10.1007/s10643-015-0719-0

Wolter, I., Braun, E., & Hannover, B. (2015). Reading is for girls!? The negative impact of preschool teachers' traditional gender role attitudes on boys' reading related motivation and skills. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 1267. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01267

Yopp, H. K., & Yopp, R. H. (2009). Phonological awareness is child’s play. Young Children, 64(1), 12–21.

Zhang, K., Djonov, E., & Torr, J. (2016). Reading aloud as performance and its representation on television programmes for children. Social Semiotics, 26(4), 424-444. doi:10.1080/10350330.2016.1189734

Zheng, Z., Degotardi, S., & Djonov, E. (2021). Supporting multilingual development in early childhood education: a scoping review. International Journal of Educational Research, 110, 1-11. [101894]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2021.101894

Zheng, Z., Degotardi, S., & Djonov, E. (2024). Translanguaging practices in infant rooms: case studies of Chinese-Australian bilingual infant-educator interactions. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2024.2320843

Recommended Readings

Arthur, L., Ashton, J., & Beecher, B. (Eds.) (2014). Diverse literacies in early childhood: A social justice approach. Camberwell, Victoria: Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) Press.

Cecil, N. L., Baker, S., & Lozano, A.. S. (2015). Striking a balance: A comprehensive approach to early literacy (5th edition).  Routledge.

Emmit, M., Zbaracki, M., Komesaroff, L., & Pollard, J. (2015). Language and learning: An introduction for teaching (6th edition).  Oxford University Press.

Flint, A. S., Kitson, L., Lowe, K., Shaw, K., Humphrey, S., Vicars, M., & Rogers, J. (2020). Literacy in Australia: Pedagogies for engagement (3rd ed.). John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Jalongo, M. R. (2014). Early Childhood Language Arts (6th edition). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Larson, J., & Marsh, J. (Eds.). (2013). The SAGE handbook of early childhood literacy. (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications Ltd.

McGee, L.M., & Richgels, D.J. (2014). Designing early literacy programs: Strategies for at-risk preschool and kindergarten children (2nd Edition). Guilford Press.

McLachlan, C., Nicholson, T., Fielding-Barnsley, R., Mercer, L., & Ohi, S. (2013).  Literacy in early childhood and primary education: Issues, challenges and solutions. Cambridge University Press.

McLeod, S., & McCormack, J. (Eds) (2016). Introduction to speech, language and literacy. Oxford University Press.

Morrow, L. M. (2014). Literacy development in the early years: Helping children read and write (7th edition). Pearson.

Schickedanz, J., & Collins, M. (2013). So much more than the ABCs: The early phases of reading and writing. National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). 

Scull, J., & Raban, B. (Eds.) (2016). Growing up literate: Australian literacy research for practice. Eleanor Curtain Publishing.

Winch, G., Johnston, R., March, P., Ljungdahl, L. & Holliday, M.  (2020). Literacy: Reading, writing and children’s literature. (6th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Woods, A., & Exley, B. (Eds.) (2020). Literacies in early childhood: Foundations for equity and quality. Oxford University Press.

Lectures  

Lectures will be available on the web through the Echo360 component. Students are expected to listen to and view all lectures. PowerPoint slides will be available in the Echo360 section. You are encouraged to create your own notes, however, rather than only downloading slides. 

Structure 

The unit structure can be found in the university timetable: Creating your timetable - Enrolling | Macquarie University, Sydney (mq.edu.au)

The unit will be delivered using a combination of lectures and tutorials. There will be 15 1-hour lectures, 1-2 each week. Weekly 1.5-hour tutorials/workshops will be held for 'weekday attendance' [on-campus] students and 'online' [external] students.

In tutorials, students will discuss issues and questions arising from the lectures and prescribed readings. They are expected to base their arguments/discussions on evidence from published research and other relevant material. Students are required to participate in small group activities and whole class discussion, to read the weekly material in advance, and to complete brief tasks either as individuals or in pairs. Sometimes short 'homework' tasks will be set, which also need to be completed as tutorial preparation. The weekly program for the unit of study with the accompanying readings/ preparation will be available on the unit iLearn site.

Information about the unit iLearn site 

This unit has a full web presence through iLearn. Information for students about access to the online component of this unit is available at https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/index.php. You will need to enter your student username and password.

Please do NOT contact the Unit Convenor regarding iLearn technical help. Assistance is available from IT Helpdesk: via email onehelp@mq.edu.au or Ph: 9850 4357 or 1800 67 4357. On Campus: Ground floor at 18 Wally’s Walk.

For a detailed unit schedule, including the most up-to-date list of required and recommended weekly readings, please see the EDST2120 iLearn site.

Module 1. Introduction: Perspectives on young children’s language, literacy and literature  

This module introduces students to perspectives on language and literacy learning in the years from birth to starting school and highlights the value of play and children’s literature in supporting early language and literacy. 

Module 2. Language, literacy and literature in the preschool years: Foundations for reading and writing 

This module focuses on the language, emergent literacy and literary development of 3-5-year-old preschool children and how educators can support it through children’s literature, play-based experiences, everyday interactions and digital technologies. This module also deepens students’ understanding of the role oral language development plays in supporting children’s transition to school and later learning and literacy outcomes.

Module 3. Language, literacy and literature in the infant and toddler years 

This module examines the language and literacy development in children aged from birth to 3 years and how educators can support it through children’s literature, play-based experiences and everyday interactions. A key focus of this module is developing understanding of the different language and literacy environments infants and toddlers may experience at home and in ECEC settings.   

Module 4. Language and literacy education for young children from diverse backgrounds 

This module deepens students’ knowledge about the variety of the language and literacy learning experiences and engagement with literature that children from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Australia, experience in their homes and communities. Students will consider how early childhood educators can recognise and build on the funds of language, literacy and literary knowledge that all children (including those who speak Standard Australian English as an additional language or dialect) bring to the classroom.