EDF5828 · English in the early years

Overview

This unit develops your understanding of young children’s language and literacy learning. It considers the diversity of children’s literacy learning experiences at home, in the community and in early childhood learning settings. You are required to appreciate the importance of respecting cultural and linguistic diversity, and how this can provide a foundation for fostering effective literacy teaching and learning. Adult interactions will be analysed to support young children’s communication and language development, alongside teaching practices to support oral language, reading and writing acquisition processes. This includes examining the role of phonological and phonemic awareness, vocabulary and comprehension and the relationship between oral language and early literacy. The unit links theory and practice using authentic examples and case studies, and requires you to draw upon your lived experiences to develop pedagogical understandings. Contemporary research literature will also be explored in order to deepen your knowledge of English and literacy development and teaching theories to assist you to design and implement evidence-based language and literacy programs across diverse early childhood contexts, to support the continuity of children’s literacy learning from birth to 5 years of age.

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

The Handbook lists no prerequisite, corequisite or prohibition for this unit.

Learning outcomes

1. develop an understanding of how English and literacy skills develop in the early years both in- and out-of-early childhood and primary school, and expand upon one’s own literacy skills with a view to becoming an effective language and literacies teacher
2. develop knowledge of relevant theoretical perspectives and how these help us understand the ways early literacies are both developed and fostered
3. recognise the ways in which the use and learning of oral language, reading, writing, multiliteracies and digital technologies are interwoven
4. begin to use effective techniques for planning, teaching and assessment of early literacy learning
5. consider ways to differentiate learning opportunities for young children with different experiences, abilities, interests and needs in early childhood and primary contexts, including children who speak languages other than, or in addition to, English.
6. reflect upon your own English and literacy skills as a future classroom practitioner.

Workload

The minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per teaching period comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Usually, you can expect to engage with: • 24 hours* of scheduled learning delivered on campus via weekly/regular directed learning activities; and • the remaining hours to be allocated towards self-directed/independent study Scheduled learning activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement. *Subject to variation due to professional experience requirements

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.