EDF2020 - English and literacies 1 - 2017

This unit is the first of two that develop students' understanding of English and literacies learning in the Victorian and Australian curriculum. This unit focuses on the range of ways children encounter and use literacy in a diverse social, cultural and technological world. It introduces conceptual frameworks for understanding and critiquing the processes of how children learn about literacy. Students explore the importance of translating home and community learning into various institutional settings and vice versa. The teaching of literacy is examined from a number of current theoretical perspectives, and students develop appropriate pedagogical practices that support children's literacy learning. With a particular focus on the early years, the unit explores effective pedagogies to enhance children's oral language, reading, writing and visual literacies, taking into account issues related to information and communication technology.

Upon successful completion of this unit students should be able to:

1. critically reflect upon and develop their own personal English and literacy skills
2. demonstrate their understandings of what constitutes texts within a multiliteracies environment
3. demonstrate their understandings of what 'counts' as literacy
4. demonstrate their understandings of how literacy is enacted in various different cultural and social settings, including homes, communities, daycare, pre-school and school
5. demonstrate knowledge of a range of theoretical perspectives related to how young children learn and develop their literacy knowledge, skills and understandings
6. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of effective ways to plan, teach and assess learning experiences to develop young children's early reading, writing, oral language and visual literacies.

Multimodal report on approaches to literacy teaching and learning in the early years (individual assignment) (2000 words or equivalent per student, 50%)

Integrated unit of work (can include individual work and/or work in pairs) (2000 words or equivalent per student, 50%)

Minimum total expected workload equals 144 hours per semester comprising:

1. Contact hours for on-campus students:
   • 2 hours per week
2. Additional requirements:
   • independent study to make up the minimum required hours per week

See also Unit timetable information

Dr Damien Lyons

Primary education