Module 4: Literacy in the Middle Years

Chapter 1 Literacy Defined

'All teachers are teachers of literacy.'

Literacy is a necessary competence, all subjects require skills for reading, writing, listening to, speaking, retrieving, interpreting, evaluating and reflecting on in some form (even if it is not to the same extent as, or with the same outcomes required of the English curriculum). Furthermore, each subject has a particular vocabulary and style of text that the students must become proficient in. The reason for teaching specialised literacy for the various disciplines is to prepare students with the necessary capabilities that are required in the different fields they may move into in the future.

Our family who are our first teachers teach us a cultural literacy.

Freebody (2007) states that “Students are educated by teachers educated by teacher educators” (p. 11). Currently, as we speak, I am learning about literacy while using my skills in literacy along a continuum of teaching and learning.

Chapter 2 Literacy and the Australian Curriculum

Notes about each of six literacy elements:

1.       Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
Students use “skills and strategies to access, interpret [and respond to] spoken, written, visual and multimodal texts” aurally and visually. This applies across the element 3-6 described below (ACARA, 2016).

2.       Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
Students compose expressive forms of language including spoken, written, visual and multimodal texts for different purposes, including interacting with others, “class discussions, talk that explores and investigates learning area topics, and formal and informal presentations and debates”. This applies across the element 3-6 described below (ACARA, 2016).

3.       Text knowledge
Students are able to understand the different types of text structures that are used in different fields/disciplines and use them to determine the important material and details, and “present information, explain processes and relationships, argue and support points of view and investigate issues” (ACARA, 2016).

4.       Grammar knowledge
Students gain understanding of the grammatical features of different texts, and use knowledge of sentence structures, links and elaborate ideas, and “how different types of words and word groups convey information and represent ideas in the learning areas (ACARA, 2016).

5.       Word knowledge

The details of this on the ACARA (2016) site do not seem to have anything to do with world knowledge in my opinion, but this is what it says: “This involves students understanding the increasingly specialised vocabulary and spelling needed to compose and comprehend learning area texts.

Students develop strategies and skills for acquiring a wide topic vocabulary in the learning areas and the capacity to spell the relevant words accurately. In developing and acting with literacy, students:

·         understand learning area vocabulary

·         use spelling knowledge.

(ACARA, 2016).

6.       Visual knowledge
Through interpreting still and moving images, graphs, tables, maps and other graphic representations, students understand how visual information contributes to the meanings created in learning area texts.

These are some ways in which I can develop literacy for Grades 5 & 6 in:

The Arts

Through the study of historical and culturally significant Indigenous artworks, I can teach students about cultural symbolism and Dreaming so that they can develop a visual knowledge to understand the meanings, symbolism and stories that the artist is telling.

Health and Physical Education

In this area I could provide different types of text to students such as media articles, scientific research findings, text book literature, websites etc. Before they begin reading any type of text I would ask them if they could predict what it would be about from the title and if there are any pictures. And from their predictions, what kind of information do they believe will be important. Then I will give them instructions for a type of note taking method (a different one for each text initially, then when they are practised in a few, they can choose the style that best suits how they take in information). Following students reading for understanding, I would facilitate a class discussion in which I can assess student text knowledge through their determining of the important material and details, how they address their knowledge in discussion and argue and support points of view.

Humanities and Social Sciences

All the areas of Social Sciences have a particular inherent vocabulary, and by teaching, demonstrating and using assessment strategies to determine student understanding and spelling knowledge of those learning area vocabularies, I can address the literacy element world knowledge.

Chapter 3 Reading and comprehension

The main features of each part of the ‘three cueing’ model are:

- Semantic cues are making guesses from context and/or illustrations.

- In reality we rarely encounter single words without context.

- Reading is not simply sounding out or identifying single words, it is more complex than this. It is creating meaning with print.

- Syntactic cues are grammar and/or word order.

- With Letter-sound knowledge students can use the information in combination with the other 2 cues to attempt reading an unknown word.

- The 3-cueing system is a description of how the brain identifies words during the act of creating meaning with print. It is not a method

(Johnson, 2015).

In Humanities classes, and for Geography in my experience, there are many different types of texts that students are asked to read. In this class I will use ‘High Reliability Literacy Strategies’ in my teaching by:

·         before asking my students to read something I will see if they can predict what the text is going to be about by the title and/or any pictures or illustrations.

·         Where possible the articles will be relevant to current events so I will be able to assess the students existing knowledge in these areas.

·         Depending on where they’re at, we could have a class discussion about the topic.

·         I will ask them if they have any questions about the topic.

·         I will model the vocabulary used in the subject/topic, and ask students to do so too during discussions as other types of communication.

·         I will model reading aloud, and sometimes ask that the students read aloud from the text.

·         When I get them to read aloud in the class, we will go through vocabulary, topic sentences, meanings, paraphrasing and summarising.

·         We will talk about the techniques we have been using so they are aware of them for future use without guidance.

·         I will ask them what they have learnt about the text and how they read the text that is different to reading other types of text.

·         I will ask if any of the earlier questions they had were answered by the text, and if not, where could they look to find the answers.

·         When they reflect of the topic itself they should know the text well. This I would be addressed with some type of assessable task, usually formative, though a summative assessment may entail a written assignment or a presentation, which must include how the knowledge they have gained is useful to their understanding, and how it can be linked to other things they know.

(Munro, 2011).

Chapter 4 Writing

Two ways I will help my students develop their writing skills:

1.       Scaffolding- I will show them, and we will analyse, good examples of what the type of writing I am asking of them should look like. We will go through the texts to determine structure, coherency, grammar, style, content, engagement value for audience, and vocabulary so they can create a word bank of the specific vocabulary of the subject.

2.       Assessment and Feedback- From their work I can assess their understanding of the topic and the writing techniques and I can give them constructive feedback on their work, and to develop goals with them for improving their work.

Is it important to teach handwriting to middle school students? Why or why not?

I personally think the handwriting skill is important because technology is not always available. There are many situations where it is still important to take notes and other forms of writing in and out of school. We want others to be able to understand our writing, which will be difficult if people were not taught how to write. Physical writing also helps us with spelling and grammar rules that are automatically corrected or drawn attention to in computer documents. There are also things that we can express with pen and paper that are far more difficult to achieve using a computer, such as linking ideas when taking notes in class (this is not to suggest that technology is not easier or more convenient for many tasks).

Stantangelo and Graham (2016) say that handwriting is still prominent at home and at the workplace, even with digital writing tools being commonplace. As long as this continues to be the case it is important to teach students these skills. Teaching students hand writing, and individualising their instruction, leads to greater legibly and fluency in writing. They continue that by saying that ”it is assumed that non-content factors, such as legibility or spelling correctness, influence readers’ judgments about the quality of ideas in a written text”. This is an issue for students as “, a test response that is less legible will receive a lower score for content than the same paper written more legibly. (p. 225-226).

Chapter 5 Multiliteracies

The five most important ideas I have learned about in my exploration of multiliteracies are:

1.       The 6 design elements for making meaning are: linguistic; visual; audio; gestural; special; and, multimodal patterns (which are combinations of the other meaning makers). President and Fellows of Harvard College (1996). New Learning (n.d.) videos 1.1 and 1. 2 also says the term ‘multimodal’ means that words rarely exist by themselves without context. The reason for this being more prominent now than in the past is that we have more technologies that allow us to present multimodes of literacy from the same platform, such as children’s books having pictures and writing on the same page, or audio and visual on the television and computer simultaneously illustrating the same message.

2.       Video 1.4 on New Learning (n.d.) showed how to teach young students using multiliteracies lesson where the students guessed what different cards represented without any text, from the other visual features. Then they connected knowledge of how different events in the year where cards are exchanged are for different celebrations that we have. It’s about acknowledging and valuing ways other than alphabetical processes of making meaning, and that this learning is transferrable to different situations.

3.       Bull and Anstey (2007), state that as well as needing to consume the elements for making meaning described in number 1, “conversely, they will be required to produce texts that use all five systems such as play scripts, email, video and PowerPoint presentations”.

4.       Students and teachers should understand that the choice of text type can be approached in many ways and will depend on context (Bull & Anstey, 2007).

5.       All text is consciously constructed and choices are made as to what is included and excluded, never telling the whole story. Often text portrays the particular values of the writer. Thus, being multiliterate can allow the reader to critically “analyse texts, identify their origins and authenticity, and understand how they have been constructed in order to perceive their gaps, silences and biases” (Bull & Anstey, 2007).

Chapter 6 The Four Resources Model

Is this a helpful model for you to use? Why/why not?

I think it is helpful for me to design lessons that address the content of this model, so long as they are active class tasks, rather than a worksheet for students to fill out. There are a lot of questions which I think would be boring, but though a discussion or some other type of guided activity or group work could be more engaging for the students. As we work through the activities addressing the content of the mode, I could tell them the technicalities of what they have been doing so that they are aware of the techniques. Also, following the activities, I could give them a copy of the model so they could use it as a cheat sheet in future self-guided text deciphering activities.

Chapter 7 Literacy in Years 7 – 9

The most important factors to consider about teaching literacy to Years 7 – 9 are:

1.       Literacy teaching does not end after grade 3-4, and in the middle and secondary years it is not just the responsibility of the English department (State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Training, 2016). Teachers “coordinate common strategies and approaches to improving literacy skills for individual students” (Sparks, 2016).

2.       “‘Literacy’ refers to a set of self-sustaining resources: how well-developed and flexible our literacy resources are will determine how well-developed and flexible our literacy resources will become in the future” (State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Training, 2016). I think this means that the level of literacy of society and the resources available and used, and the pedagogical ability of the teachers to pass that literacy onto students, determines the quality of the same thing (the level of literacy of society and the resources available and used, and the pedagogical ability of the teachers to pass that literacy onto students) in the future.

3.       “Engaging the ways in which the knowledge is represented in words and images of different kinds in these specific knowledge areas is literacy development in the middle years” (State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Training, 2016). By teaching in this way we are ensuring equity for learning for all students.

4.       Four of Heckman’s ‘7 lessons’ from the human capital research on skills formation:

·         Ability and environment both matter

·         Abilities are multiple

·         Cognitive and non-cognitive differences between socio-economic groups appear at an early age

·         Families and schools can compensate for these differences

(Freebody, 2011).

5.       “Students should experience a mix of the academic and the applied, the knowledge and the inquiry” in their classrooms, “with each supporting, informing and motivating the other” (Freebody, 2011).

6.       “Some ways forward: Sharing…

·         Understandings of the key literacy demands of each subject

·         Ways of maximising continuity from year to year and across the subjects

·         A vocabulary for the language and other modalities that receive heavy duty in the different curriculum areas

·         School-based policies that emphasise curriculum-based literacy capabilities

·         In-school, in class assessments that are valid and curriculum-relevant

7.       There must be a line of communication between the current teacher and the previous teacher so that the levels of the students are known and it is known what needs to be taught to extend them- whole school (or coherent school) literacy program (National Literacy and Numeracy Week, 2011).

I will teach literacy to middle years students in Geography and Outdoor Education by:

·         Providing texts for the students and using ‘High Reliability Literacy Strategies’ which are explained earlier in this blog post

·         I will model what I want to see from them such as reading texts out loud, working out and explaining what different text means, and using subject specific vocabulary

·         I will have them interpret different types of text including written, symbolic, cultural, visual and aural, and conversely have them create those types of texts too

·         I will have them work collaboratively for many activities in which they must develop and use proficient communication skills to participate successfully

·         I will incorporate peer teaching into lessons when appropriate

·         I will use formative assessment strategies daily and give the students constructive feedback on their achievements, abilities, and areas in need of improvement

Chapter 8 Literacy in Years 5 & 6

What I have learnt about teaching literacy to Grade 5 & 6 students:

*Note- none of the links in this chapter worked (as well as some links in other chapters of this module), nor were they available using the library search tool, so my thoughts are based only on the information from chapter 8 of this module.

·         The ACARA (2015) document (English: Sequence of content F-6 Strand: Language) is a helpful resource that shows what students understanding of every facet in literacy should be from years F-6, informing what teachers need to teach to achieve this

·         It’s beneficial to often allow students time for silent reading, “this is an excellent time to make observations of student’s progress, fluency, and choice of books, skill level, running records or testing and to do some one-on-one skill development” (Sparks, 2016).

·         Use records to chart students’ progress.

·         Keeping a reading diary helps to teach students responsibility over their own learning and is good preparation for secondary school.

·         “The reading and writing hours need to follow a predictable format to ensure that the students are familiar with the routine, that the lessons are focused on the learning intention and outcomes are being achieved” (Sparks, 2015).

·         Making students aware of the learning intention so that they know what and why they are going to be taught improves their learning outcomes.

·         One strategy for differentiating teaching is to have the students work in groups (such as level of ability), participating in activities aimed to address each group’s needs. The teacher can then work separately with each group throughout the lesson.

·         Spelling can be taught in conjunction with writing skills.

·         “Making lists of ‘words of the week’, or topic words, conjunctions, or sizzling story starters, all get the students interested in words and word meanings” (Sparks, 2016). These sound like fun and easy ways to extend students’ knowledge.

·         Keyboarding skills isn’t addresses in the “Teaching handwriting and keyboarding skills” section of Module 4, Chapter 8, and I hadn’t even thought that teaching keyboarding skills would be part of teaching writing…

Chapter 9 Strategies for developing literacy skills

Five strategies I will use for teaching literacy to middle years students:

1.       Visual images and concept maps to teach new words (Victorian State Government, Education and Training 2008)- the latter especially. I have used visual images to teach difficult new specific vocabulary to later years students, and even though we revisited the vocabulary in most classes, they still had trouble with remembering the meanings. If I just showed them the images and words, and they had to work out the meaning, there would probably be better retention rates. Similarly, if they made their own concept maps around, vocabulary, ideas and topics, their active engagement would probably ensure a better outcome.

2.       “Explicitly teach academic language. There are many words that have a different meaning from their day-to-day usage when they are used in a classroom context (e.g. argue can mean fight but it can also mean outline a particular view in writing). There are also a number of words that do not commonly occur outside of the classroom, such as text, reference, and calculate” (Victorian State Government, Education and Training 2008).
- I will let the students know that we are learning and need to use academic language so they are aware of what we are doing
- I will model academic language
- I will ask that students also use academic language in the class and in their assessments.

3.       Scaffolding- Giving the students information that extends them, that they can relate to and expand on things which they already know, and which is not beyond their ability to comprehend. Once I have assessed that the individuals/groups have learnt this, continue to teach more difficult things in a way that they are able to construct their knowledge. Vygotsky called this the ‘zone of proximal development’ which is continually changing as the child becomes cognitively ready to learn new material (McDevitt, Ormrod, Cupit, Chandler, & Aloa, 2013). It is also described as “learning always proceeds from the known to the new. Good teaching will recognise and build on this connection” (My Read, 2002).

4.       Guided reading- This is achieved by grouping the students (usually by ability), in which they can work socially and collaboratively on skills that everyone in the group needs to work on. The teacher can observe the individuals and provide assistance and support when necessary (My Read, 2002).

5.       Engage the students in purposeful social practises (such as guided reading above) to address The Four Resources Model which is designed to teach students through the: code breaker; text user; text participant; and, text analysist (My Read, 2002). This was talked about in Chapter 6 of this module as well.

References

ACARA. (2015). English: Sequence of content F-6 Strand: Language. Retrieved from http://www.acara.edu.au/_resources/English_-_Sequence_of_content.pdf

ACARA. (2016). Literacy: Key Ideas. Retrieved from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/generalcapabilities/literacy/introduction/key-ideas

Bull, G., & Anstey, M. (2007). What’s so different about multiliteracies? Curriculum & Leadership Journal, 5(11). Retrieved from http://www.curriculum.edu.au/leader/whats_so_different_about_multiliteracies,18881.html?issueID=10766

Freebody, P. (2011). Literacy across the school curriculum [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.nlnw.nsw.edu.au/vids2012/12211-freebody/vid12211.htm

Freebody, P. (2007). Literacy Education in School: Research perspectives from the past, for the future. Retrieved from http://research.acer.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=aer

Johnson, A. (2015, February 28). Reading: 3-Cueing systems part 1 [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CckjFEDluLg

McDevitt, T., Ormrod, J., Cupit, G., Chandler, M., & Aloa, V. (2013). Child development and education. Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Australia.

Munro, J. (2011, February 17). Munro Intro [Video file]. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/20085498

My Read. (2002). Guided reading. Retrieved from http://www.myread.org/guide_guided.htm

My Read. (2002). Strategies for teaching reading in the middle years: Scaffolding learning. Retrieved from http://www.myread.org/scaffolding.htm

National Literacy and Numeracy Week. (2011). The benefits of whole-school literacy programs [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.nlnw.nsw.edu.au/vids2012/11468-luke01/vid11468.htm  

New Learning. (n.d.). Victorian Department of Education Series, Video 1 – Considering Multiliteracies Retrieved from http://newlearningonline.com/multiliteracies/videos

President and Fellows of Harvard College. (1996). A Pedagogy of Multiliteracies: Designing Social Futures. Harvard Educational Review, 66(1). Retrieved from http://www.sfu.ca/~decaste/newlondon.htm

Sparks, A. (2016). EDU5MTM, Module 4, Chapter 6, Literacy in the middle years [Modules]. Retrieved from Department of Education, La Trobe University, LMS web site: https://lms.latrobe.edu.au/mod/book/view.php?id=1993691&chapterid=130199

Sparks, A. (2016). EDU5MTM, Module 4, Chapter 8, Literacy in the middle years [Modules]. Retrieved from Department of Education, La Trobe University, LMS web site: https://lms.latrobe.edu.au/mod/book/view.php?id=1993691&chapterid=130200

Victorian State Government, Education and Training. (2008). Language Support Program –Teaching and learning strategies: ICPAL – Ideas. Retrieved from https://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/edulibrary/public/teachlearn/student/lspresource431.pdf

Stantangelo, T., & Graham, S. (2016). A Comprehensive Meta-analysis of Handwriting Instruction. Educ Psychol Rev 28, pp. 225–265. doi 10.1007/s10648-015-9335-1

State of New South Wales, Department of Education and Training. [Freebody]. (2016). Literacy across the curriculum [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.nlnw.nsw.edu.au/videos09/lo_Freebody_Literacy/lo_Freebody_Literacy_00.htm