Professional learning course
Examining the guide:
An introduction to quality
literacy teaching
1
Acknowledgement of country
We acknowledge the traditional Custodians of this
Land, where the Aboriginal People have
performed age-old ceremonies of storytelling,
music, dance and celebration.
We acknowledge and pay respect to the Elders
past and present, and we acknowledge those of
the future, for they will hold the memories,
traditions and hopes of Aboriginal Australians.
We must always remember that under the
concrete and asphalt this Land is, was and always
will be traditional Aboriginal Land.
2
Professional Teaching Standards
Standards addressed at Professional Competence in
this course include:
1.2.2: Apply research-based, practical and theoretical
knowledge of the pedagogies of the
content/discipline(s) taught to meet learning needs of
students.
6.2.1 Reflect critically on teaching and learning practice
to enhance student learning outcomes.
6.2.3 Engage in professional development to extend
and refine teaching and learning practices.
3
An introduction to quality literacy teaching
• describes the essential
components of quality
literacy teaching
• provides a foundation for
professional learning and
further literacy resources
e.g. Literacy Continuum
Link to video
4
Outline of the course
This professional learning course
examines An Introduction to quality
literacy teaching in 3 sessions:
Session 1: Literacy learning
Session 2: Literacy teaching
Session 3: Considerations for
literacy learning and
teaching
5
Professional learning course
An introduction to quality
literacy teaching
Session 1
Literacy learning
6
Anticipated learning
During this session you will:
• clarify the nature and significance of literacy learning
• consolidate your understanding of the Literacy
Continuum and the eight critical aspects of literacy
development
• consider how literacy is integral to all learning areas
and needs to be explicitly taught
• consolidate your understanding of the changing nature
of literacy learning in the early, middle and later years
of schooling
• reflect on how you will apply your new learning
when assessing, planning and teaching.
7
Literacy learning
The nature and significance of literacy learning
The critical aspects of literacy development
The place of literacy in the curriculum
Literacy learning in the early, middle and later years of
schooling
8
The nature and significance of literacy learning
Literacy: A skill that begets many other skills. (Heckman, 2000)
Task 1
Work individually:
• Read The nature and significance of literacy
learning pp. 6-7
• Record key points.
Work in small groups:
• Discuss and select the seven most important points.
• Share with the whole group.
9
The literacy continuum: A continuum of the
critical aspects of literacy
Eight aspects
supported by
research.
Describes
knowledge, skills
and strategies
typically expected
of most students.
Maps how each
aspect develops by
identifying key
markers of student
progress across the
years of schooling.
Markers support teachers to
assess, plan and teach literacy.
Other crucial areas such as
grammar, spelling, punctuation and
listening are developed within a
number of aspects.
10
The critical aspects of literacy development
Reading texts
Comprehension
Vocabulary knowledge
Unconstrained skills
Aspects of writing
Aspects of speaking
Phonics
Phonemic awareness
Concepts about print
Constrained skills
11
The critical aspects of literacy development
Task 2
For each particular critical aspect assigned to you
- define the aspect
- state why the aspect has been identified as
critical to students’ literacy success
- share your learning with the group
NB: In relation to the descriptions on pp. 8-10, “text” is inclusive of oral,
aural, written, digital and multimodal texts.
12
The place of literacy in the curriculum
Task 3
Literacy knowledge, skills and understanding
need to be used and developed in all learning
areas. Initial and major continuing development
will be in English but the national curriculum will
ensure that this competency is used and
developed in all learning areas.
National Curriculum Board, 2009
13
Literacy learning across the years of schooling
Early Years (Kindergarten - Year 4)
Middle Years (Years 5 - 9)
Later Years (Years 10 - 12)
14
The place of literacy in the curriculum
Read through pages 12-13:
Task 3
• Literacy learning in the early years
• Literacy learning in the middle years
• Literacy learning in the later years
Consider one unconstrained critical aspect and identify
and describe how this aspect develops and expands
from the early to later years.
Record this information on your handout.
Share this information with the group.
15
Reflection - What is important?
Task 4
Reflection is not profitable unless it affects practice
Edwards-Groves, 2003
List four ‘take home messages’ about literacy learning
that you think have the greatest implications for your
classroom practice.
Rank these in order of importance from 1- 4 (1 being least
important).
Discuss with a partner, providing justification for your
ranking and identifying which of these you will act on:
• tomorrow
• next week.
16
17
Bibliography
An introduction to quality literacy teaching (2009) Curriculum K-12 Directorate,
NSW Department of Education and Training, Sydney, NSW.
Edwards-Groves, C.J (2003) On task: Focused literacy learning, Primary
English Teaching Association (PETA), Sydney, NSW.
Heckman, J. J. (2000) ‘The real question is how to use the available funds
wisely. The best evidence supports the policy prescription: Invest in the very
young’, Irving B. Harris Graduate school of Public Policy Studies, University of
Chicago, viewed 10 July 2009,
<http://www.pcanebraska.org/includes/downloads/heckman.pdf>
National Curriculum Board (2009) Shape of the Australian curriculum: English,
May, Commonwealth of Australia, ACT.
18
End of session1
19
Professional learning course
An introduction to quality
literacy teaching
Session 2
Literacy teaching
20
Acknowledgement of country
We acknowledge the traditional Custodians of this
Land, where the Aboriginal People have
performed age-old ceremonies of storytelling,
music, dance and celebration.
We acknowledge and pay respect to the Elders
past and present, and we acknowledge those of
the future, for they will hold the memories,
traditions and hopes of Aboriginal Australians.
We must always remember that under the
concrete and asphalt this Land is, was and always
will be traditional Aboriginal Land.
21
Professional Teaching Standards
Standards addressed at Professional Competence in
this course include:
1.2.2: Apply research-based, practical and theoretical
knowledge of the pedagogies of the
content/discipline(s) taught to meet learning needs of
students.
6.2.1 Reflect critically on teaching and learning practice
to enhance student learning outcomes.
6.2.3 Engage in professional development to extend
and refine teaching and learning practices.
22
Outline of the course
This professional learning course
examines An Introduction to quality
literacy teaching in 3 sessions:
Session 1: Literacy learning
Session 2: Literacy teaching
Session 3: Considerations for
literacy learning and
teaching
23
Anticipated learning
During this session, you will:
• examine explicit, systematic, balanced and integrated
literacy teaching
• consider how the Four Literacy Resources model and A
process for explicit and systematic literacy teaching assist
planning for explicit and systematic, balanced and
integrated literacy teaching
• strengthen your understanding of modelled, guided and
independent teaching strategies, and consider how these
teaching strategies can be used in early, middle and later
years classrooms
• reflect on how you will apply your new learning
when assessing, planning and teaching.
24
Literacy teaching
Teaching makes a difference
Explicit and systematic, balanced and integrated literacy teaching
The Four Literacy Resources model
A process for explicit and systematic literacy teaching
Modelled, guided and independent teaching strategies
Literacy teaching in the early, middle and later years of schooling
25
Teaching makes the difference
The greatest influences on literacy
learning are the teachers and the
quality of the teaching.
Hattie, 2003
Link to video
26
The cornerstones of quality literacy teaching
Explicit
Systematic
Balanced
Integrated
Task 1
27
The cornerstones of quality literacy teaching
Explicit
Systematic
Balanced
28
Explicit and systematic, balanced and integrated
literacy teaching
Task 1
Individually read through:
Balanced and integrated literacy teaching p. 16
Explicit and systematic literacy teaching p. 17
As you do, expand your notes to address these questions:
What is it?
What do teachers do?
What does it look like in a literacy lesson?
Compare and discuss your understandings with
a partner or the group.
29
The Four Literacy Resources model
Task 2
Code-breaking
resources
Meaning–making
resources
Literacy capabilities
Text-using
resources
Text-analysing
resources
When effective literacy learners interact with texts, they
draw on these four resources in an integrated way.
30
The Four Literacy Resources model
Task 2
• Refer to The Four Literacy Resources model on
page 19
• Read, summarise and report on:
- what needs to be taught in relation to each
resource
- how teachers can balance and integrate the
resource with one or more of the other
resources.
31
A process for explicit and systematic teaching
32
Assessment for/of learning
Task 3
Assessment for/of learning involves frequent formative
assessment as well as summative assessment, that:
• uses rubrics
• engages students in the assessment process
• provides feedback to students about what they can
do, how their work compares with others and what
they can do to improve.
33
Planning
Task 3
Planning involves using assessment information, the
curriculum, and guidance from the Four Literacy
Resources model to:
• establish learning goals for a lesson or a series of
lessons
• group students using flexible and fluid grouping
• choose instructional strategies (modelled, guided or
independent teaching) that will enable all students to
achieve the learning goals.
34
Instruction
Based on planning decisions, Instruction involves:
Task 3
• allocating time for focused literacy teaching as part of
current literacy sessions/lessons
• beginning with an introduction that clarifies purpose and
process, makes links to prior learning, provides an
overview, explains tasks and expectations, etc
• using modelled, guided and independent teaching
strategies to support all students to achieve the learning
goals
• allowing time at the end for student reflection.
35
Key literacy teaching strategies
Modelled teaching
Guided teaching
Independent teaching
… can be used
with whole class,
small group or
individual
students
… require fluid
and flexible
student grouping
… scaffold students with
temporary point of need
support
… move students from
dependent learners to
independent learners
36
Modelled, guided and independent teaching
Task 4
Read through pages 23-25.
Describe each teaching strategy in terms of:
•
when and why it is used
•
what it involves the teacher doing
•
what it involves the student doing
•
what grouping structures might be used
37
Literacy teaching in the early, middle and later
years of schooling
Task 5
Refer to the video and/or pages 26-27 of the guide
• How do literacy demands change as students move
from the early years, into the middle years and through
to the later years of schooling?
• How do early, middle and later years teachers use
modelled, guided and independent teaching strategies to
cater for increasingly complex literacy demands?
Link to video
38
Reflection activity- What is important?
Reflection is not profitable unless it affects practice
Edwards-Groves, 2003
What - So what - Now what?
Task 6
WHAT are the main messages from each section of today’s
workshop?
SO WHAT are the implications for how I teach literacy in
my classroom?
NOW WHAT will I do differently in my classroom as a result
of these messages?
39
40
Bibliography
An introduction to quality literacy teaching (2009) Curriculum K-12 Directorate,
NSW Department of Education and Training, Sydney, NSW.
Edwards-Groves, C.J (2003) on task focused literacy learning. Primary English
Teaching Association (PETA), Sydney, NSW.
Hammond, J. et al., (2001) Scaffolding :Teaching and Learning in Language
and Literacy Education, PETA, Newtown, NSW
Hattie, J. A.(2003) Teachers make a difference: What is the research evidence?
University of Auckland, Australian Council of Educational Research Conference
on Building Teacher Quality.
41
End of session 2
42
Professional learning course
An introduction to quality
literacy teaching
Session 3
Considerations for literacy
learning and teaching
43
Acknowledgement of country
We acknowledge the traditional Custodians of this
Land, where the Aboriginal People have
performed age-old ceremonies of storytelling,
music, dance and celebration.
We acknowledge and pay respect to the Elders
past and present, and we acknowledge those of
the future, for they will hold the memories,
traditions and hopes of Aboriginal Australians.
We must always remember that under the
concrete and asphalt this Land is, was and always
will be traditional Aboriginal Land.
44
Professional Teaching Standards
Standards addressed at Professional Competence in
this course include:
1.2.2: Apply research-based, practical and theoretical
knowledge of the pedagogies of the
content/discipline(s) taught to meet learning needs of
students.
6.2.1 Reflect critically on teaching and learning practice
to enhance student learning outcomes.
6.2.3 Engage in professional development to extend
and refine teaching and learning practices.
45
Outline of the course
This professional learning course
examines An Introduction to quality
literacy teaching in 3 sessions:
Session 1: Literacy learning
Session 2: Literacy teaching
Session 3: Considerations for
literacy learning and
teaching
46
Anticipated learning
During this session, you will:
• consider the place of technology in quality literacy
learning and teaching
• strengthen your understanding of how to use the
National Assessment Program Literacy and
Numeracy (NAPLAN) to enhance literacy learning
and teaching
• consider how to cater for a diverse student
population
• reflect on how you will apply your new learning
when assessing, planning and teaching.
47
Considerations for literacy learning and teaching
Using technology for quality literacy learning and teaching
Using NAPLAN for literacy learning and teaching
Catering for diversity in the classroom
Further literacy resources and professional learning programs
Appendices
48
Using technology for quality literacy learning and
teaching
Read: Pages 28-29
Task 1
Summarise:
How technology can be used as a tool to enhance
and extend effective literacy teaching and learning.
What students need to be taught to maximise the
teaching and learning potential of technology.
Record and share with a partner:
How does the information in this section align with
current classroom practices?
What changes could you make to improve the use
of technology in your classroom?
49
Using NAPLAN for literacy learning and teaching
Task 2
Work in small groups to discuss and list the ways the
school currently uses the SMART package to guide
planning for literacy teaching at an individual student,
classroom, stage or whole-school level.
Read pp. 30-31.
Identify and discuss additional ways the SMART
package could be used at an individual student,
classroom, stage or whole-school level.
50
Catering for diversity in the classroom
Task 3
• Read page 32
• Reflect on your literacy assessing, planning and teaching
in regard to the strategies listed as dot points
• Discuss and record the practices that your school
currently uses for all students
• Discuss and record the practices that your school uses for
a group of learners with particular needs, eg. disabilities,
ESL, Aboriginal, etc
• Indicate the strategies that you will include or further
emphasise in future as part of your classroom assessing,
planning and teaching.
• Discuss in your group what you will include/emphasise
and how you will do this.
51
Further literacy resources
For information about the most current and up-todate literacy materials, resources and professional
learning programs and packages visit the Literacy
website:
http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/literacy/index.htm
52
Appendices
Included in the appendices are:
• The NSW Literacy K-12 policy pp. 36-38
http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/literacy/index.htm
• Websites for additional information and support p. 39
• Supporting Aboriginal students p. 40.
53
Reflection activity- What have you learned?
Task 4
Reflection is not profitable unless it affects practice
Edwards-Groves, 2003
Task 4
1.2.2: Apply research-based, practical and theoretical knowledge of the
pedagogies of the content/discipline(s) taught to meet learning needs of
students.
6.2.1 Reflect critically on teaching and learning practice to enhance
student learning outcomes.
6.2.3 Engage in professional development to extend and refine teaching
and learning practices.
Use the Reflection task to evaluate your own
participation and learning as a result of undertaking this
course.
54
55
Bibliography
An introduction to quality literacy teaching (2009) Curriculum K-12
Directorate, NSW Department of Education and Training, Sydney,
NSW.
Edwards-Groves, C.J (2003) on task focused literacy learning. Primary
English Teaching Association (PETA), Sydney, NSW.
56
End of session 3.
57