Unit Structure

The unit structure can be found in the university timetable Creating your timetable - Enrolling | Macquarie University, Sydney (mq.edu.au). In the 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. There will be a supporting iLearn site for the unit providing additional readings, links and materials.  

Student workload and requirements

Before commencing this unit, please ensure that you can meet all requirements, including workload requirements, attendance expectations (if relevant to your mode of enrolment), and assessment submission requirements.

Credit points indicate the approximate hours that a student is expected to spend studying in order to pass a unit. One credit point equals 15 hours; thus, students are expected to spend approximately 10 hours per week (including the two weeks of mid-session recess) studying this unit (i.e. approximately 150hr). Study includes viewing all lectures, participating in tutorials and learning activities, completing set readings and background readings, completing assignments, and using the unit’s iLearn site.

Independent study is strongly encouraged in this unit as is participation in online discussions and the completion of study tasks posted on iLearn.

Please ensure that you have sufficient time to dedicate to your studies before attempting this unit. We are sympathetic that students often have significant domestic and work-related responsibilities. To be fair to our staff and to other students, however, these cannot be used to justify incomplete work or extension requests.

Classes and attendance

All students are expected to:

• View all lectures in the unit.
• Complete any online tasks before or during the weeks in which these are scheduled.
• Be familiar with relevant lectures and complete the specified reading preparation before scheduled classes and online activities.
• Actively contribute to online discussions and scheduled classes.
• Complete and submit all assignments.

Required texts

There is one required textbook: 

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

There is also one required curriculum document: 

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.

NOTE: There are also other required readings that will be available through the library’s website and/or the unit’s iLearn website. 

Access and technical assistance  

Information for students about access to the online component of this unit is available at ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/MQ/. You will need to enter your student username and password. 

Please do NOT contact the Unit Convenor regarding iLearn technical help.  

No extensions will be given for any technical issues. Allow enough time for your submissions.  

Assistance is available from IT Helpdesk ph: 1800 67 4357, or log a request at help.mq.edu.au. OneHelp is the online IT support service for both students and staff. 

This unit requires students to use several ICT and software skills: 

• Internet access: The iLearn site contains materials for this unit; it is also required for the online submission of all Assessment Tasks, and for the use of Turnitin submission for ALL tasks.   

• Word processing, visual representations, and document formatting: You are required to use an appropriate form of software to present your assignments.  

• Uploading of assessment tasks to iLearn. 

Relation between assessment task and learning outcomes

ACECQA Standards

The Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) standards addressed in this unit are:

1. Psychology and child development

  1.1 Learning, development and care

  1.2. Language development

  1.6. Diversity, difference and inclusivity

  1.8. Transitions and continuity of learning (including transition to school).

2. Teaching Pedagogies

  2.1. Alternative pedagogies and curriculum approaches

  2.2. Play-based pedagogies

  2.4. Teaching methods and strategies

  2.5. Children with diverse needs and backgrounds

  2.6. Working with children who speak languages other than, or in addition to, English

  2.7. Contemporary society and pedagogy

3. Education and curriculum studies

  3.1. Early Years Learning Framework

  3.4. Language and literacy

  3.5. English as an additional language

  3.9. Curriculum Planning, programming and evaluation

4. Family and community contexts

  4.1. Developing family and community partnerships

  4.3. ATSI perspectives

  4.4. Socially inclusive practice

  4.5. Culture, diversity and inclusion

6. Early childhood professional practice leadership

  6.4. Advocacy

  6.5. Research

A detailed and dated schedule with weekly readings is provided on iLearn.

Topics covered in this unit:

• What is involved in learning to read?

• Multiliteracies

• Emergent literacy, oral language and shared reading

• Emergent literacy: comprehension-oriented aspects

• Emergent literacy: code-breaking aspects (phonological and phonemic awareness, alphabet knowledge, brief introduction to phonics)

• Emergent writing in the years prior to school

• Learning language: infants and toddlers (1): Language learning in the first three years

• Learning language: infants and toddlers (2): Supporting language development in home vs. group care contexts

• Authentic language and literacy assessment in the early years

• Language, literacy and culture (1): Home and family influences on language and literacy development

• Language, literacy and culture (2): Social positioning, language and literacy

• Language, literacy and bilingualism: Children learning English as an additional language (EAL)

• Australian Indigenous Languages, Aboriginal English, language and literacy