| Effective Term: | 2025/05 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Education, Arts & Community |
| Unit Title: | Early Childhood Language and Literacies |
| Unit ID: | EDMAS6032 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | Nil |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | Nil |
| ASCED: | 070101 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
This unit is designed to allow Pre-Service Teacher (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 and Victorian Curriculum) to plan meaningful language and literacy experiences for children in prior-to-school settings and as they transition to school |
| 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. | Demonstrate an understanding of language and literacy development in young children and how this impacts teaching practice |
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| K2. | Demonstrate an understanding of teaching and assessment strategies that are inclusive of learning strengths, dispositions, linguistic, religious and sociocultural backgrounds |
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| K3. | Articulate the key literacy pedagogies in early childhood contexts |
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| K4. | Demonstrate an ability to use curricula framework learning outcomes in the planning, implementation and assessment of language and literacy learning |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Identify implications of language and literacy theory and critically reflect on the impact of theory on inclusive teaching practices |
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| S2. | Plan for children's language and literacy learning using inclusive strategies and resources, including ICTs, that engage young learners |
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| S3. | 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 be covered may include:
• Frameworks for learning language, including the development of semantic, syntactic, phonological and orthographic awareness
• The social contexts of children's early literacy learning
• Emergent literacy and how this is modelled
• 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 settings
• Multiliteracies globalization, critical literacies and diversity
• Children as mark and meaning makers
• Children's awareness of print and symbols prior to school
• Literacy Assessment |
| 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 at this level will demonstrate an advanced ability in a range of contexts to effectively communicate, interact and work with others both individually and in groups. Students will be required to display high level skills in-person and/or online in: • Using and demonstrating a high level of verbal and non-verbal communication • Demonstrating a mastery of listening for meaning and influencing via active listening • Demonstrating and showing empathy for others • High order skills in negotiating and conflict resolution skills\\ • Demonstrating mastery of working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams. | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 2
Leadership | Students at this level will demonstrate a mastery in professional skills and behaviours in leading others. • Creating and sustaining a collegial environment • Demonstrating a high level of self -awareness and the ability to self-reflect and justify decisions • Inspiring and initiating opportunities to lead others • Making informed professional decisions • Demonstrating initiative in new professional situations. | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 3
Critical Thinking and Creativity | Students at this level will demonstrate high level skills in working in complexity and ambiguity using the imagination to create new ideas. Students will be required to display skills in: • Reflecting critically to generate and consider complex ideas and concepts at an abstract level • Analysing complex and abstract ideas, concepts and information • Communicate alternative perspectives to justify complex ideas • Demonstrate a mastery of challenging conventional thinking to clarify complex concepts • Forming creative solutions in problem solving to new situations for further learning. | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 4
Digital Literacy | Students at this level will demonstrate the ability to work competently across a wide range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks. Students will be required to display skills in: • Mastering, exploring, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and sharing digital information professionally • Collating, managing complex data, accessing and using digital data securely • Receiving and responding professionally to messages in a range of professional digital media • Contributing competently and professionally to digital teams and working groups • Participating at a high level in digital learning opportunities. | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 5
sustainable and Ethical Mindset | Students at this level will demonstrate a mastery of considering and assessing the consequences and impact of ideas and actions in enacting professional ethical and sustainable decisions. Students will be required to display skills in: • Demonstrate informed judgment making that considers the impact of devising complex solutions in ambiguous global economic environmental and societal contexts • Professionally committing to the promulgation of social responsibility • Demonstrate the ability to evaluate ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable challenges and generating and articulating responses • Communicating lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to the diverse professional others • Generating, leading and implementing required actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life | 3 - N/A |
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| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K1, S1 A1 APST 1.2 | Respond to forum discussion questions. | Hurdle | S/U | | 2. | K1, K2, K3, K4, S1, S2, S3, A2, A3, APST 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 | Literacy resource kit Using a current curriculum framework and knowledge of early language and literacy development, create five resources that can be used to enhance early language and literacy development for children aged 3-5 years of age. Provide a rationale for the inclusion of each resource and suggest ways the resource can be used to meet language and literacy outcomes. The report will also highlight how resources cater for young children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds | Resource Kit and Report | 40-60% | | 3. | K1, K2, K3, K4, S1, S2, S3, A2, A3, APST 1.5, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 5.1 | Observation of a child's developing written, visual, spoken, multimedia and performance text awareness While on placement with children under 3 years of age, PSTs are to collect and document a series of observations with the focus on early language and literacy development. Based on the documentation and summary of the child's language and literacy development, the PST is to plan, implement, assess and evaluate indoor and outdoor experiences that build on the child's language and literacy development. PST is to write a brief report that summarises the child's language and literacy development and how the planned experiences contribute to further development. Fully evaluated learning experience plans and observational documentation should be included as appendices | Report | 40-60% |
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