CQUniversity Unit Profile
EDCU20036 Literacy: Learning to Read
Literacy: Learning to Read
All details in this unit profile for EDCU20036 have been officially approved by CQUniversity and represent a learning partnership between the University and you (our student).
The information will not be changed unless absolutely necessary and any change will be clearly indicated by an approved correction included in the profile.
General Information

Overview

The development of skilled reading is fundamental to children’s learning across the curriculum at school and to their participation in a wide range of social situations in everyday life. In this unit, you will acquire knowledge and understanding of content in the Australian Curriculum English as the basis for effective planning, teaching and assessment in reading. Unit content includes an emphasis on the skills of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, oral language and comprehension as the foundation for early reading instruction. You will apply this knowledge to interpret assessment data, select resources and plan activities and learning experiences for learners in early childhood education and care settings and the early years of primary school using evidence-based, balanced approaches to reading pedagogy. In addition, your engagement with the learning materials in this unit will enhance your knowledge of the technical aspects of print-based texts and the grammatical content that comprises the Language strand of the English Curriculum as the basis for demonstrating and reflecting on your personal and professional literacy competence.

Details

Career Level: Postgraduate
Unit Level: Level 8
Credit Points: 6
Student Contribution Band: 7
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load: 0.125

Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

Co-Requisite EDFE20034 Professional Praxis 1: Understanding Learning Contexts

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Offerings For Term 1 - 2022

Online

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Class and Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Class Timetable

Bundaberg, Cairns, Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville
Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

Assessment Overview

1. Written Assessment
Weighting: 50%
2. Portfolio
Weighting: 50%
3. Online Test
Weighting: Pass/Fail

Assessment Grading

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.

Previous Student Feedback

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Feedback from evaluations

Feedback

Although the unit was heavy in content it was necessary content. The way the topics were set out was practical and easy to navigate.

Recommendation

Keep the content structured so it is meaningful and practical.

Feedback from evaluations

Feedback

The assessment task weighting did not reflect the time and effort put into the different tasks.

Recommendation

With the new accreditation modifications commencing in 2022, weighting of the assessment tasks will more accurately reflect the time students should put into each task.

Unit Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
  1. Illustrate teaching strategies that support explicit and balanced instruction in the knowledge and skills for early reading
  2. Align teaching, learning and assessment with curriculum content descriptions and achievement standards and evidence-based approaches to reading pedagogy
  3. Select and justify print-based, multimodal and digital texts that provide a focus for early reading instruction
  4. Use assessment strategies to collect information on students’ reading knowledge and skills and determine a focus for feedback and explicit instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, oral language and/or comprehension
  5. Interpret assessment data to set learning goals that provide achievable challenges for students with varying characteristics and abilities in reading
  6. Plan learning experiences in reading that are responsive to the strengths and needs of learners from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds
  7. Develop reading programs that bridge home and school literacy practices for students from diverse backgrounds including EAL/D and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners
  8. Apply personal competence in literacy appropriate for performing the professional work of teachers
  9. Identify, describe and evaluate the ways in which personal and professional literacy competence address the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and support the ability to have a positive impact on student learning.

Successful completion of this unit provides opportunities for students to demonstrate the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers focus areas of:

1.3 Students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds

1.5 Differentiate teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities

2.1 Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area

2.2 Content selection and organisation

2.3 Curriculum, assessment and reporting

2.5 Literacy and numeracy strategies

3.1 Establish challenging learning goals

3.2 Plan, structure and sequence learning programs

3.3 Use teaching strategies

3.4 Select and use resources

5.1 Assess student learning

5.2 Provide feedback to students on their learning

5.4 Interpret student data

6.2 Engage in professional learning and improve practice

6.4 Apply professional learning and improve student learning

Alignment of Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Graduate Attributes
N/A Level
Introductory Level
Intermediate Level
Graduate Level
Professional Level
Advanced Level

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes

Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1 - Written Assessment - 50%
2 - Portfolio - 50%
3 - Online Test - 0%

Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes

Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1 - Knowledge
2 - Communication
3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills
4 - Research
5 - Self-management
6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility
7 - Leadership
8 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures
Textbooks and Resources

Textbooks

Prescribed

Literacy: Reading, Writing and Children's Literature

Edition: sixth (2019)
Authors: Winch,G., Johnston, R. R., March, P, Ljungdahl, L. Holliday, M.
Oxford
Sydney Sydney , NSW , Australia
ISBN: 9780190310561
Binding: Paperback

Additional Textbook Information

Both the paper and eBook text can be purchased at the CQUni Bookshop. Click on the Check for eBook link to be directed to Vitalsource. Search on the unit code here:http://bookshop.cqu.edu.au

IT Resources

You will need access to the following IT resources:
  • CQUniversity Student Email
  • Internet
  • Unit Website (Moodle)
Referencing Style

All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)

For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.

Teaching Contacts
Michelle Vanderburg Unit Coordinator
m.vanderburg@cqu.edu.au
Schedule
Week 1 Begin Date: 07 Mar 2022

Module/Topic

Definitions of Reading

Chapter

Chapter 1: Literacy in the Modern World


Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 2 Begin Date: 14 Mar 2022

Module/Topic

Reading in the Australian Curriculum: English

Chapter

Chapter 24: Literature and the Curriculum

Chapter 25: Starting out: Introducing the Book

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 3 Begin Date: 21 Mar 2022

Module/Topic

Explicit and Systematic Teaching of Concepts of Print

Foundations of Early Reading: The Development of Oral Language, Vocabulary, Concepts of Print in Play Contexts and in Playful Ways

The "Big Five of Reading": Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary, Oral Language and Comprehension

Teaching Phonics and Phonemic Awareness

Chapter

Chapter 2: Oral Language

Chapter 3: A Balanced View of Reading

Chapter 4: Toward a Model of Reading

Chapter 5: Word Recognition: Phonics, Phonemes and Phonemic Awareness

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 4 Begin Date: 28 Mar 2022

Module/Topic

Frameworks for Reading Instruction: Four Resources and the Gradual Release of Responsibility


Chapter

Chapter 9: The Effective Teaching of Reading

Chapter 10: Learning to Read: The Child Before School


Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 5 Begin Date: 04 Apr 2022

Module/Topic

Procedures for Teaching Reading: Modelled, Shared, Guided and Independent Reading

Chapter

Chapter 11: Learning to Read: The Early School Years

Chapter 12: Learning to Read: The Primary School Years

Events and Submissions/Topic

Vacation Week Begin Date: 11 Apr 2022

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Assessment Task 1 due

Compiling a Reading Resource Due: Vacation Week Friday (15 Apr 2022) 11:59 pm AEST
Week 6 Begin Date: 18 Apr 2022

Module/Topic

Assessment in Reading: Running Records, Observation, Questioning, Analysis of Miscues

Chapter

Chapter 8: Assessment in Reading

Events and Submissions/Topic

Online quiz 1

Week 7 Begin Date: 25 Apr 2022

Module/Topic

Reading Strategies: Sounding Out, Chunking, Reading On, Re-reading, Using Pictorial or Visual Cues, Word Recognition, Adjusting Reading Rate

Chapter

Chapter 6: Comprehension: The Meaning of Text

Chapter 7: The Reader and the Text

Events and Submissions/Topic

Online quiz 2

Week 8 Begin Date: 02 May 2022

Module/Topic

Word Recognition Skills: Teaching Sight Vocabulary

Spelling

Chapter

Chapter 19: Spelling

Events and Submissions/Topic

Online quiz 3

Week 9 Begin Date: 09 May 2022

Module/Topic

Strategies for Teaching Comprehension: Activating Prior Knowledge, Predicting, Visualising, Retelling, Making Connections

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Online quiz 4

Week 10 Begin Date: 16 May 2022

Module/Topic

Using the Three Cueing Systems to Predict Unknown Words

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic


Week 11 Begin Date: 23 May 2022

Module/Topic

Reading and Writing Connection

Chapter

Chapter 21: Assessment of Writing

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 12 Begin Date: 30 May 2022

Module/Topic

Bridging Home and School Literacy Practices for Students from Diverse Backgrounds including EAL/D and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Learners

Chapter

Chapter 31: Stories: A Rich Resource for EAL/D and Indigenous Students

Events and Submissions/Topic

Assessment Task 2 due


Assessment for Literacy Learning Due: Week 12 Friday (3 June 2022) 11:59 pm AEST
Review/Exam Week Begin Date: 06 Jun 2022

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Assessment Task 3 due


Personal Literacy Competency Online Tests Due: Review/Exam Week Tuesday (7 June 2022) 11:59 pm AEST
Exam Week Begin Date: 13 Jun 2022

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Assessment Tasks

1 Written Assessment

Assessment Title
Compiling a Reading Resource

Task Description

Task Description

This task is to be completed individually and contains two parts. You must submit both parts outlined in detail under the headings “Annotated bibliography” and “Ways to use the texts” below.

Context for the task

Being able to understand the multiple ways in which quality texts can be used to teach the foundation skills for early reading is important. This task will encourage you to carefully select texts and design ways in which you can use them to teach phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, oral language, and comprehension for reading success.

Annotated bibliography

Select 4 quality* texts published in the period 2010-present. Your selection should include a variety of texts in print, multimodal or digital form. These texts may include picture books, stories in a range of forms, poetry, rhyming verse, non-fiction, or any other text suitable for reading instruction in P-2 classes in the primary school and/or the development of foundation skills for reading in early childhood education and care settings.

Provide an overview of each text’s purpose, content, and genre. Using the template provided and correct grammatical terminology, describe the key language features and illustrations/graphics that facilitate the teaching of reading and the age group and curriculum year level for which each text will be used.

Ways to use the texts

Choose two of the texts you have selected.

Using the template provided, identify the curriculum content descriptions for the chosen year level (F-2) or the learning outcomes from the Early Years Learning Framework that will be the teaching and learning focus for each text. Considering the chosen level, design ways in which you would use it to support the explicit teaching of reading at that level (i.e. outlining and organising strategies and activities for before, during and after the reading and rereading of the text).

Your selected planning ideas should include:

Activities based on a range of expressive and interpretative modes such as drama, media activities, use of ICTs, visual art activities, expressive movement, or any other modes for making and communicating meaning;

Strategies that draw on the learning outcomes of the Early Years Learning Framework and/or the literacy capabilities of the Australian Curriculum to specifically target the development of the learners' use and understanding of oral and written language; and

A range of questions that could be posed when using this text. The range must span the hierarchy of questions in Bloom’s Taxonomy. Try to make the questions specific to the text rather than generic.

Justify your chosen strategies and activities. Why have you chosen the strategy/activity? How will it help readers develop the skills for effective reading? What features of the text support explicit teaching of these skills?

Tasks must be described in detail. Where cloze is adopted, for example, you must indicate which words or sections of text are deleted and why. Indicate page numbers and text excerpts where appropriate.

Where these ideas are derived from existing sources, you must reference this AND state how and why you have adapted the activity.

*Quality denotes the use of authentic and rich language and textual features. Do not include texts from commercially available reading schemes.


Assessment Due Date

Vacation Week Friday (15 Apr 2022) 11:59 pm AEST


Return Date to Students

Week 8 Friday (6 May 2022)


Weighting
50%

Assessment Criteria

  • Knowledge and understanding of texts suitable for use in the teaching of knowledge and skills for reading.
  • Knowledge of text purpose, genre, grammatical, illustrative/graphic features as the focus for reading instruction.
  • Alignment between teaching and learning activities and curriculum content
  • Knowledge and understanding of activities that support explicit and balanced instruction in early reading.
  • Ability to justify pedagogical decisions using evidence-based approaches to the design of reading tasks, activities and instruction.
  • Communication demonstrating personal literacy competence.


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Illustrate teaching strategies that support explicit and balanced instruction in the knowledge and skills for early reading
  • Align teaching, learning and assessment with curriculum content descriptions and achievement standards and evidence-based approaches to reading pedagogy
  • Select and justify print-based, multimodal and digital texts that provide a focus for early reading instruction

2 Portfolio

Assessment Title
Assessment for Literacy Learning

Task Description

Task Description

This task is designed to develop practical knowledge of how to interpret assessment information and evidence to design experiences that build on and support students’ literacy, and reading development, in particular.

On the Moodle site for this unit, you will find two student data sets. Each data set contains the following:

two audio recordings of the student's reading

comprehension responses

writing samples, including planning sheets, and

a single word spelling test

Part A - The analysis

You are required to analyse and interpret the assessment data. This will include completing running records and a miscue analysis, analysing comprehension responses, first draft writing samples, planning sheets and spelling.

Following analysis, record a summary of the assessment data in relation to the Achievement Standards of the Australian Curriculum: English for your chosen student’s year level.

The analysis must refer to all literacy samples and conclusions reached justified in the data. Consider what (and how) the child has demonstrated achievement and set specific learning goals for the student to guide future development and instruction. The analysis should be accompanied by examples of the feedback that you would provide to the learner. The feedback should be explicit and constructive and help the learner know what he/she needs to do to improve knowledge and skills for effective reading.

Each aspect of the data set must be considered in relation to what the artefacts show about the learner’s acquisition of skills in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, oral language, and comprehension for the development of early reading and this section of the task must be no longer than 3 A4 pages in length.

Part B - Planning

Based on your findings, write a detailed overview of how you would extend this student’s literacy development in the context of a whole class over a three-week period. The plan must include evidence of a reading program that uses a balanced approach to instruction inclusive of guided reading at the learner’s instructional level as determined by the completed reading running record.

The overview needs to identify the focus for instruction, texts you would use and details of the range of teaching strategies that you would include e.g. shared, modelled, guided and independent reading, explicit teaching of skills such as phonics, etc. Your planning decisions should be justified to show how they are constructed to cater for students from diverse backgrounds and ability levels and build on diverse literacy practices including those of EAL/D and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners.

Meaningful links to the Australian Curriculum: English need to be made. This overview can be presented as a table, but should not exceed 3 A4 pages.

From this overview, select one aspect and write one detailed lesson plan for a 2-hour literacy block.

This lesson plan needs to detail the groupings, teacher questions, texts used, modelled, guided and independent reading and writing opportunities.


Assessment Due Date

Week 12 Friday (3 June 2022) 11:59 pm AEST


Return Date to Students

Weighting
50%

Assessment Criteria

  • Application of knowledge of reading skills to the interpretation of assessment data
  • Ability to set learning goals, provide feedback and identify a focus for instruction for students of varying abilities using assessment information
    • Ability to plan lessons and programs for reading instruction that address identified needs and include a range of effective teaching strategies
    • Application and justification of teaching strategies that cater for students with a range of language backgrounds and skills in reading
    • Knowledge and understanding of the impact of the linguistic and cultural backgrounds of EAL/D and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners on the comprehension of texts, oral language development and skills for early reading
    • Communication demonstrating personal literacy competence


    Referencing Style

    Submission
    Online

    Learning Outcomes Assessed
    • Illustrate teaching strategies that support explicit and balanced instruction in the knowledge and skills for early reading
    • Align teaching, learning and assessment with curriculum content descriptions and achievement standards and evidence-based approaches to reading pedagogy
    • Select and justify print-based, multimodal and digital texts that provide a focus for early reading instruction
    • Use assessment strategies to collect information on students’ reading knowledge and skills and determine a focus for feedback and explicit instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, oral language and/or comprehension
    • Interpret assessment data to set learning goals that provide achievable challenges for students with varying characteristics and abilities in reading
    • Plan learning experiences in reading that are responsive to the strengths and needs of learners from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds
    • Develop reading programs that bridge home and school literacy practices for students from diverse backgrounds including EAL/D and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners

    3 Online Test

    Assessment Title
    Personal Literacy Competency Online Tests

    Task Description

    Task Description

    This task comprises two parts:

    • Four personal literacy competency online tests that are completed each week from Week 6 to Week 9.
    • A reflective statement.

    Further information about the tests:

    The tests will cover key terminology of language & literacy learning (e.g. graphophonic knowledge, morpheme, phoneme, syntax, etc.) and your personal literacy competency (e.g. grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc.)

    1 attempt only at each quiz. 10 questions per quiz. 1 mark per question. 30 minutes to complete each quiz.

    Each weekly quiz will be open for normal working days during the week only (i.e Week 8 quiz will be open from Monday of Week 8 through to Friday of Week 8)

    Once you complete the quiz and submit, your overall score only will be available. Solutions will be released once the quiz has closed for that week. You are not able to go back in and attempt the quiz again.

    Further information about the Reflective Statement:

    You are to write a 1000 word (maximum) reflective statement outlining your strengths and challenges with respect to your personal literacy competency, a professional learning plan to address the challenges identified and the implications for student learning.

    This reflective statement must include:

    • Your literacy strengths and challenges as identified through self-reflection and online quiz performance.
    • A personal plan for professional learning outlining both short term and long term goals, and the professional learning resources you plan to draw on to support your acquisition of the literacy knowledge, understanding and skills required for the effective and accurate description of literacy ideas that support children’s literacy development
    • A justification for your plan that links to (a) scholarly literature; and (b) the development of professional knowledge and practice for teaching literacy using selected focus areas of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (specifically 6.2 and 6.4)*
    • A preliminary evaluation of the effectiveness of the plan for your short term goals, and an informed reflection on the relationship between professional learning, improved practice and improved student learning in literacy in early childhood and primary schooling contexts.

    *A full copy of the AITSL Professional Standards for Australian Teachers is available at: http://www.aitsl.edu.au/australian-professional-standards-for-teachers

    You must achieve a pass standard in this task to be eligible to pass this unit.


    Assessment Due Date

    Review/Exam Week Tuesday (7 June 2022) 11:59 pm AEST


    Return Date to Students

    Weighting
    Pass/Fail

    Minimum mark or grade
    Pass

    Assessment Criteria

    No Assessment Criteria


    Referencing Style

    Submission
    Online

    Learning Outcomes Assessed
    • Apply personal competence in literacy appropriate for performing the professional work of teachers
    • Identify, describe and evaluate the ways in which personal and professional literacy competence address the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and support the ability to have a positive impact on student learning.

    Academic Integrity Statement

    As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.

    Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.

    When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.

    Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.

    As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.

    What is a breach of academic integrity?

    A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.

    Why is academic integrity important?

    A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.

    Where can I get assistance?

    For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.

    What can you do to act with integrity?