ED2094 - Early Childhood Education Language and Literacy

Compulsory for all students enrolled in Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education)

The focus of this subject is upon Subject English education. It explores the teaching of children in the Pre-Preparatory, Preparatory and Primary School Years within the subject English. The subject attends to the Australian Curriculum - English (concentrating on the three interrelated strands of Language, Literature and Literacy), the Early Years Learning Framework (concentrating on the EYLF Outcome "Children are Effective Communicators") and to additional appropriate policies and frameworks. Topics include - in the context of contemporary Pre-Preparatory, Preparatory and Primary School learning environments - teaching children within Subject English across the areas of listening, reading, viewing, speaking, writing and creating; the critique of several models of instruction which influence teaching across the language/literacy area, with a view to maximising learning opportunities for children with diverse abilities and backgrounds; issues of language diversity and learning styles and their impact on best teaching practice; a variety of means for assessing and reporting on student learning; a focus on meaning and relevance within 'schooling' and other contexts, as the basis for selecting literacy instructional techniques and resources to be used; and consideration of the profound changes in literacy demands for children today noting the major role new media and technologies play. This subject provides the preservice teacher with the opportunity to develop as a Professional Practitioner - where she/he will focus on 'teaching for learning' and her/his professional identity as a 'teacher of learners' within the context of Subject English.

Learning Outcomes

• implement a variety of genres and text types, including multimodal texts and children's literature in the teaching of English;
• apply knowledge of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and relevant ACECQA standards in regard to teaching and learning in Subject English;
• critically reflect upon the diversity in children's backgrounds, particularly language backgrounds, and generate ways of accommodating such diversity in educational settings;
• evaluate the Australian Curriculum English, the Early Years Learning Framework, the Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline and a range of instructional models for achieving the outcomes set out for children in the Pre-Preparatory and Preparatory years;
• formulate a personal theory of English language and literacy teaching and learning that will inform the future classroom praxis for the teacher including planning, assessment and reporting strategies and use this knowledge in motivating learners to build new understanding in age-appropriate ways and contexts.

Subject Assessment

• assignments (20%)
• english learning experience design assignment (40%)
• centrally-administered final exam (40%).

Note: Minor variations might occur due to the continuous Subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.