Unit rationale, description and aim
Children’s literature is an essential part of literacy education. This unit will introduce pre-service teachers to an extensive range of children’s literature which includes contemporary melded genres, multimodal texts, picture books, and poetry to build foundational knowledge for the teaching of literacy.
Pre-service teachers will understand the importance of analysing the language, images, theme, and structure of literature for use as mentor texts in classrooms and early learning contexts. The unit is designed to develop and deepen pre-service teachers’ knowledge of children’s literature and how it is used to promote enjoyment, oral language, reading and writing development. Strategies for responding to, thinking about and critiquing children’s literature within a basis of theories will be considered. The unit will also consider Indigenous literature, enabling pre-service teachers to acknowledge Indigenous Australians’ deep spiritual relationship with the land, and value and respect Indigenous cultures.
The aim of this unit is to offer opportunities for pre-service teachers to read and critique a wide range of children’s literature, consider what constitutes quality children’s literature, and to participate in discussions with deep understanding, within a framework that engages the social and ethical dimensions of study and research.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Examine the constructs of children’s literature, r...
Learning Outcome 01
Use an extensive range of children’s literature fo...
Learning Outcome 02
Analyse strategies for responding to and critiquin...
Learning Outcome 03
Justify the application of children’s literature (...
Learning Outcome 04
Content
Topics will include:
- Multimodality and the metalanguage of visual and verbal texts
- The contexts of children’s literature (e.g. analysis, purpose, enjoyment, uses across the curriculum)
- Children’s literature used to support the development of children
- The importance of reading aloud to children, for the development of oral language, reading and writing skills, knowledge and dispositions.
- The language of literature (e.g., metaphor, alliteration, simile, poetic devices, the lexico-grammar of literature)
- Literary techniques and strategies and their linguistic and multimodal realisations/devices’
- Historical development of children’s literature
- Characteristics of literary genres and text types in children’s literature (e.g., folk and fairy, realism, fantasy, historical, multicultural and Indigenous; non-fiction, poetry, anime, graphic novels, hybrid)
- Contemporary melded genres, post-modern picture books and multi-modal digital genres
- Themes related to children’s social-emotional development and topics that allow for cross curriculum connections in children’s literature
Assessment strategy and rationale
The two assessment tasks are sequenced to allow feedback and progressive development of content knowledge and skills and to prepare pre-service teachers for pedagogical knowledge units in the sequence of language and literacy units.
Task 1 focuses on pre-service teachers’ ability to analyse the interrelationship between words and pictures in response to literature and identify how the visuals in picture books support and develop oral language and writing in children. Task 2 assesses pre-service teachers’ application of knowledge and evaluation of children’s literature in relation to reading aloud with reference to children’s early literacy development with a focus on how the books can be used in an educational setting.
The assessment tasks for this unit are designed to demonstrate the achievement of each learning outcome. To pass this unit, pre-service teachers are required to complete and pass both assessment tasks, achieving an overall Pass grade for the unit.
Overview of assessments
Assessment Task 1: Picture Book Analysis Select ...
Assessment Task 1: Picture Book Analysis
Select and analyse three picture books published in the past five years. Explore multimodality in the selected texts using relevant metalanguage, including how multimodality assists in telling the story. Create a plan for how the books could be used to promote and develop oral language and writing in an educational setting.
40%
Assessment Task 2: Portfolio of Children's Litera...
Assessment Task 2: Portfolio of Children's Literature
Compile a corpus of five pieces of children’s literature published in the past 5 years, demonstrating a range of themes and genres. Create a portfolio that outlines your analysis of the visual and verbal features of each text and explains and justifies how they could be used to teach literacy across curriculum areas. Include strategies for using the literature in the classroom or learning environment with a focus on before, during, and after reading aloud.
60%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
The learning and teaching strategy for this unit is based on a constructivist approach that recognises that learning builds on pre-existing understandings and is shaped by a learner’s sociocultural context. In line with the chosen learning and teaching strategy, this unit includes content delivery designed to encourage active learning and engagement, and teaching methods designed to consolidate the learning of content, apply knowledge to problem-solving tasks and develop analytical and evaluating skills. The learning and teaching strategy is achieved through a range of learning activities such as reading, reflection, discussion, and engagement with various genres of children’s literature. Pre-service teachers will read and engage with a range of children’s literature and learn to evaluate quality literature that can serve as mentor texts in the classroom or early learning centre as well as teach and develop literacy skills in their learners.
ACECQA Curriculum Specifications
In connection to the learning outcomes, on successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should have developed the following industry specific knowledge based on the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) standards:
Relating to
Learning, development and care
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO2
Relating to
Teaching methods and strategies
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO3
Relating to
Multicultural education
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO4
Relating toAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO4
Relating to
Socially inclusive practice
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO4
Relating to
Language and literacy
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2, LO3
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers - Graduate Level
In connection to the learning outcomes, on successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should have developed the following industry specific knowledge based on the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers - Graduate Level standards:
Relating toDemonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts, substance and structure of the content and teaching strategies of the teaching area.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO2
Relating toDemonstrate broad knowledge of, understanding of, and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and languages.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO4
Relating toDemonstrate knowledge of a range of resources, including ICT, that engage students in their learning.
Relevant Learning OutcomeLO1, LO3
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) Core Content
On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should have developed the following industry specific knowledge based on the AITSL Core Content:
Relating toHow to sequence tasks within a lesson that build upon each other, meet students where they are in their learning and help them understand the progression of skills needed to attain mastery.
Relevant learningLO2, LO3
Relating toHow to explicitly model new skills and content through ‘worked examples’ that clearly demonstrate how to complete the task, followed by a progressive removal of scaffolding as students become more proficient.
Relevant learningLO2, LO3
Relating toHow to deliver effective reading instruction that attends to how the brain learns to read through systematic and explicit teaching practices for the following elements: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension and oral language.
Relevant learningLO2, LO3