Credit Points 10

Legacy Code 102678

Coordinator Christine Jones Diaz Opens in new window

Description This subject increases students’ understanding of literacy as a dynamic, social and cultural practice. It explores the changing nature of literacy by globalisation, new technologies and the diversity of language/language dialects. Students will explore the importance of valuing children’s culture, home language/dialect as an integral component to identity, particularly for bilingual and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Issues of power and language are considered through social, cultural and critical theories surrounding diversity and difference, and how this shapes the decisions of educators to build the literacy capacities of all children. Students will learn about contemporary frameworks of literacy and language and draw on this knowledge to extend children’s literacy learning.

School Education

Discipline Teacher Education: Early Childhood

Student Contribution Band HECS Band 1 10cp

Check your HECS Band contribution amount via the Fees page.

Level Undergraduate Level 3 subject

Restrictions

Students must be enrolled in the 1926 Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) and have successfully completed 80 credit points to enrol in this subject. 

Learning Outcomes

1. Examine contemporary views of literacy, literacy learning, and literacy as a social practice.
2. Analyse issues of language, culture and identity and the power of language to privilege/marginalise.
3. Discuss the diversity of literacies, languages and dialects in Australia and different approaches to the revival and retention of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and community languages.
4. Apply respect for diverse literacies and understandings of issues of gender, class and language through a critical literacies approach. 
5. Analyse family literacy practices and children’s literacy funds of knowledge.
6. Plan literacy-enriched play that builds on children’s family literacies and scaffolds children’s literacy learning.

Subject Content

1. Literacy as a social practice
2. Multi-literacies; multimodality, diverse texts and literacy practices, diverse languages/dialects including Aboriginal languages and community languages, globalisation and new technologies
3. Bilingualism and Multilingualism
4. Language and power; linguistic and cultural capital
5. Diverse dialects including Aboriginal English; language loss, language maintenance & language revival
6. Children’s funds of knowledge 
7. The role of play-based pedagogies in literacy learning 
8. Selecting and sharing children's literature