| Effective Term: | 2025/05 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Education, Arts & Community |
| Unit Title: | Early Childhood Language and Literacies |
| Unit ID: | EDECE2020 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | Nil |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | (EDECE1015) |
| ASCED: | 070101 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
This unit is designed to allow Pre-Service Teachers (PST) to explore the theoretical underpinnings and sociocultural perspectives of language development and literacy acquisition in early childhood. The symbolic representations of language through play-based pedagogies and other key literacy pedagogies in early childhood will be examined. The design and function of multimedia texts, digital technologies, popular culture and new media is examined. PSTs will explore socially inclusive practices that include language users that have English as an additional language, language and diversity and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander literacies. PSTs will use current curricula (EYLF) to plan meaningful language and literacy experiences for children in prior-to-school settings. |
| Grade Scheme: | Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF) |
| Work Experience Indicator: |
| No work experience |
| Placement Component: No |
| Supplementary Assessment:Yes |
| Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment |
| Course Level: |
| Level of Unit in Course | AQF Level(s) of Course | | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | | Introductory | | | | | | | | Intermediate | | |  | | | | | Advanced | | | | | | |
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| Learning Outcomes: |
| Knowledge: |
| K1. | Identify language and literacy development in young children and how this impacts teaching practice. |
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| K2. | Integrate teaching and assessment strategies that are inclusive of learning strengths, linguistic, religious and sociocultural backgrounds. |
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| K3. | Articulate the key literacy pedagogies in early years contexts. |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Critically reflect on language and literacy theory. |
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| S2. | Identify implications of language and literacy theory on inclusive teaching practices. |
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| S3. | Plan for children's language and literacy learning using inclusive strategies and resources, including ICTs, that engage young learners. |
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| S4. | Identify strategies for developing language and literacy with children who speak a language other than, or in addition to English. |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Examine and critique language development theory and its impact on language and literacy learning within and outside of educational contexts. |
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| A2. | Examine how early language and literacy experiences lay the foundation for language and literacy learning as children transition to school. |
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| A3. | Demonstrate an ability to plan for language and literacy development using socially inclusive teaching and assessment strategies. |
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| Unit Content: |
Topics to include
• Frameworks for learning language
• The social contexts of children's early literacy learning
• Emergent literacy
• Becoming literate
• The child's developing semantic, syntactic, phonological and orthographic awareness
• The development of representational abilities
• The role of the family in literacy development
• The place of storytelling and reading by others
• Development of storytelling by young children
• Popular culture, influences of new media and digital technology
• Working with differences in children's pathways to literacy
• The impact of sociocultural differences on children's literacy development
• Bilingual identities and literacy practices
• Understanding literacy in prior to school
• Multiliteracies, globalization, critical literacies and diversity
• Children as writers |
| Graduate Attributes: |
| Federation University recognises that students require key transferable employability skills to prepare them for their future workplace and society. FEDTASKS (Transferable Attributes Skills and Knowledge) provide a targeted focus on five key transferable Attributes, Skills, and Knowledge that are be embedded within curriculum, developed gradually towards successful measures and interlinked with cross-discipline and Co-operative Learning opportunities. One or more FEDTASK, transferable Attributes, Skills or Knowledge must be evident in the specified learning outcomes and assessment for each FedUni Unit, and all must be directly assessed in each Course.
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| FED TASK and descriptor | Development and acquisition of FEDTASKS in the Unit | | Level | FEDTASK 1
Interpersonal | Students will demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate, inter-act and work with others both individually and in groups. Students will be required to display skills in-person and/or online in: • Using effective verbal and non-verbal communication • Listening for meaning and influencing via active listening • Showing empathy for others • Negotiating and demonstrating conflict resolution skills • Working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams. | Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines | FEDTASK 2
Leadership | Students will demonstrate the ability to apply professional skills and behaviours in leading others. Students will be required to display skills in: • Creating a collegial environment • Showing self -awareness and the ability to self-reflect • Inspiring and convincing others • Making informed decisions • Displaying initiative | Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context | FEDTASK 3
Critical Thinking and Creativity | Students will demonstrate an ability to work in complexity and ambiguity using the imagination to create new ideas. Students will be required to display skills in: • Reflecting critically • Evaluating ideas, concepts and information • Considering alternative perspectives to refine ideas • Challenging conventional thinking to clarify concepts • Forming creative solutions in problem solving. | Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context | FEDTASK 4
Digital Literacy | Students will demonstrate the ability to work fluently across a range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks. Students will be required to display skills in: • Finding, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and sharing digital information • Collating, managing, accessing and using digital data securely • Receiving and responding to messages in a range of digital media • Contributing actively to digital teams and working groups • Participating in and benefiting from digital learning opportunities. | Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines | FEDTASK 5
Sustainable and Ethical Mindset | Students will demonstrate the ability to consider and assess the consequences and impact of ideas and actions in enacting ethical and sustainable decisions. Students will be required to display skills in: • Making informed judgments that consider the impact of devising solutions in global economic environmental and societal contexts • Committing to social responsibility as a professional and a citizen • Evaluating ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable challenges and generating and articulating responses • Embracing lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to diverse others • Implementing required actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life. | Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines |
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| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K1, K2, K3, S1, S2, S3, S4, A2, A3 | Create two teaching resources that can be used to enhance early language and literacy development for children aged three to five years.
Provide a report which includes a theoretical rationale for the use of these resources, including potential learning outcomes and assessment strategies to cater for young children including those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. | Resource Kit and Report | 40-60% | | 2. | K1, K2, K3, S2, S3, S4, A1, A2, A3 | Discuss language and literacy development including written, visual, multimedia, performance, and spoken text awareness in the early years.
Modify the two previously developed learning resources to include examples of the above literacy modes. New learning outcomes and assessment strategies will be required. | Report | 40-60% |
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