Professional learning course

Professional learning course An introduction to quality literacy teaching

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.

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.

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

Professional learning course An introduction to quality literacy teaching Session 1 Literacy learning

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.

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

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.

The literacy continuum: a continuum of the critical aspects of literacy 8 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. Other crucial areas such as grammar, spelling, punctuation and listening are developed within a number of aspects. Markers support teachers to assess, plan and teach literacy.

The critical aspects of literacy development Reading texts Comprehension Vocabulary knowledge Unconstrained skills Aspects of writing Aspects of speaking Phonics Constrained skills Phonemic awareness Concepts about print

The critical aspects of literacy development Task 2 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.

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

Literacy learning across the years of schooling Early Years (Kindergarten - Year 4) Middle Years (Years 5 - 9) Later Years (Years 10 - 12)

The place of literacy in the curriculum • Read through pages 12-13 • Literacy learning in the early years • Literacy learning in the middle years • Literacy learning in the later years • Consider one particular critical aspect and describe how this aspect develops and expands from the early to later years. • Record this information on Handout 3. • Share this information with the group. Task 3

Reflection - What is important? Task 4 Reflection is not profitable unless it affects practice Edwards-Groves, 2003 Task 3 • 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.

REFLECT ION REFLECT ION

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.

End of session1.

Professional learning course An introduction to quality literacy teaching Session 2 Literacy teaching

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.

Session two 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

Teaching makes the difference The greatest influences on literacy learning are the teachers and the quality of the teaching. Hattie, 2003 ADD LINK to Lorraine

The cornerstones of quality literacyteaching Task 1 Systematic Explicit Balanced Integrated

The cornerstones of quality literacy teaching Systematic Explicit Balanced

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.

The Four Literacy Resources model Task 2 Meaning–making resources Code-breaking 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.

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 the resource • how teachers could balance and integrate the with one or more of the other resources.

A process for explicit and systematic teaching

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.

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.

Instruction Task 3 • Based on planning decisions, Instruction involves: • 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.

Key literacy teaching strategies Modelled teaching Guided teaching Independent teaching … can be used with whole class, small group or individual students … scaffold students with temporary point of need support … move students from dependent learners to independent learners … require fluid and flexible student grouping

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 it might use

Literacy teaching in the early, middle and later years of schooling Task 5 • Turn to a partner and discuss: • How do the 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? Hyperlink to video: Literacy in the early, middle and later years

Reflection activity- What is important? Reflection is not profitable unless it affects practice Edwards-Groves, 2003 What - So what - Now what? WHAT are the main messages from each section from 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?

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. 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.

End of session 2.

Professional learning course An introduction to quality literacy teaching Session 3 Considerations for literacy learning and teaching

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.

Session three 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

Using technology for quality literacy learning and teaching Task 1 Read: Using technology for quality literacy learning and teaching, pp. 28-29 Discuss: 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. 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?

Using NAPLAN for literacy learning and teaching Task • 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.

Catering for diversity in the classroom Task • Read page 32 • Reflect onyour literacy assessing, planning and teaching in regard to the strategies listed • Discuss and record the practices that your school 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 • Circle the dot points 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.

Further literacy resources For information about the most current and up to date literacy materials, resources and professional learning programs and packages visit the Literacy website: http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/literacy/index.htm

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.

Reflection activity- What have you learned? Reflection is not profitable unless it affects practice Edwards-Groves, 2003 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 final Reflection task to evaluate your own participation and learning as a result of undertaking this course

Professional learning course