2.5 Literacy and numeracy strategies
AITSL Standard 2.5 Example 1
I use teaching and learning programs which show the application of explicit and structured literacy strategies. In my class I use the Cracking the Code phonological awareness program. Cracking the Code is a short duration, low intensity program which integrates instruction across a broad range of phonological awareness skills with an emphasis on phonemic awareness. It uses explicit and developmentally appropriate teaching practices. It is a highly engaging and fun learning program for students. Below in Figure 1 is an example of two lesson plans based on the Cracking the Code program. Figure 2 is an example of my assessment gathered from the program.
Figure 1 - Cracking the Code literacy program lesson plan for Cross the River game
Figure 2 - Cracking the Code literacy program lesson plan for Sounds Like Bingo game
Figure 3 - Cracking the Code literacy program assessment for segmenting words into syllables
EYLF Outcomes: 1, 2, 4 & 5
NQS Quality Area: 1 & 3
Domains: Language, Personal, Social, Cognitive & Physical
AITSL Standard 2.5 Example 2
Talk for Writing is an approach to teaching writing that encompasses a three-stage pedagogy: 'imitation' (where students learn and internalise texts, to identify transferrable ideas and structures), 'innovation' (where students use these ideas and structures to co-construct new versions with their teachers), and 'invention' (where the students create their own version of the story by changing a few parts, E.g. character and setting). When studying the nursery rhyme Hickory Dickory Dock we created a story relating to the nursery rhyme and practiced the 'imitation' stage throughout the day for a few weeks until the students knew the story well, see Figure 4. The symbols and pictures helped the students to remember and retell the story. We then moved to the innovation stage where we used the students ideas to change parts of the story and co-constructed a new version, which we practiced throughout the day for a few weeks, see Figure 5. The students then created their own story, the invention stage.
Figure 4 - Talk for Writing imitation stage
Figure 5 - Talk for Writing innovation stage
EYLF Outcomes: 4 & 5
NQS Quality Area: 1, 3 & 5
Domains: Language, Personal, Social, Emotional, Creative, Cognitive, Physical & Spiritual
AITSL Standard 2.5 Example 3
Modeled Writing is an instructional strategy I use on a regular basis in my classroom to teach and reinforce specific writing skills and concepts. I use modeled writing to illustrate a wide range of skills related to writing from grammar and conventions to crafting a piece for a specific purpose and audience. Figure 6 is an example of modeled writing during our morning mat session in which we counted how many girls, boys and students that attended Kindergarten that day. When I model the process of writing I think aloud as I write, E.g. There are 7, finger space, girls. I then invite the students to read the sentence back with me. I also get the students involved and use clapping to indicate we need a full stop, E.g. What do I need at the end of my sentence? (teacher claps and students join in and says a full stop, then I add a full stop to the end of the sentence).
Figure 6 - Modeled writing
Below in Figure 7 is an example of modeled writing of lists. During a mat session I discussed and modeled how to write lists using food object which were added to our home corner with a cash register and money to make a shop. I added shopping lists on clipboards with pencils to encourage students to write lists in the home corner (which was turned into a shop). Some students were at different emergent writing stages. Student A was at the letter strings emergent writing stage, see Figure 8, and Student B was at the scribbling emergent writing stage, see Figure 9.
Figure 7 - Modeled writing of lists
Figure 8 - Example of Student A's shopping list
letter strings emergent writing stage
Figure 9 - Example of Student B's shopping lists
scribbling emergent writing stage
EYLF Outcomes: 2, 4 & 5
NQS Quality Area: 1, 3 & 5
Domains: Language, Personal, Social & Cognitive