Week Four Topic: Literacy

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Week FourTopic Literacy numeracy
development, the year 2 net and early
intervention
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Objectives

• to explore commonly expected literacy and
  numeracy developmental stages for P-3
• to become familiar with the Year 2 Diagnostic NET
• to gain an understanding of early intervention
  strategies.

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Reading and perusal

• The Early Years of SchoolTeaching Learning
  (Briggs Potter, 1999) Chapter 6. 
• Lillian G. Katz on the Project Approach. Note
  her distinction between project, unit and theme.
• Clay, M. M. (1985) The early detection of reading
  difficulties. (3rd. ed). Auckland Heinemann.
• Clay, M. M. (1991) Becoming literate The
  construction of inner control. Auckland
  Heinemann.
•  Search for teaching resources literacy and
  numeracy Years 1 to 3.

4
Quotes of the day

• It is widely acknowledged that developing
  excellent educational practice in the classroom
  is dependent on placing literacy at the centre of
  the curriculum. It means that literacy must be
  seen as a crucial part of all learning and there
  must be a clear understanding of what literacy is
  as well as an appreciation of its complex and
  dynamic nature.
• (Briggs Potter,1999, p.190)
•  

5

• Education Queensland states that
• the prime responsibility for producing numerate
  members of society still rests with us as
  teachers in our schools.
• They go on to explain that a numerate person is
• one who can understand, interpret, use and
  apply a wide range of mathematical ideas in a
  variety of ways appropriate to that persons way
  of life. Our levels of proficiency in
  mathematics affect the quality of our personal,
  professional and community life. (Depart of Ed.
  Qld, 1994, pp. 5-7)

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Looking for Milestones

• As with physical development, there are
  milestones or stages in development of literacy
  and numeracy.
• Teachers monitor progress.
• Teachers identify children who are
• experiencing difficulty and require
  additional support and those who need extension
  in particular areas.
•  
•  

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Guidelines and criteria used to assess student
development in numeracy and literacy

• Information is gathered from a variety of
  sources, namely
• Child development milestones
• Preschool Curriculum Guidelines
• Curriculum Syllabus documents
• Year 2 Diagnostic Net
•  
•  

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Community context

• Childrens literacy and numeracy development may
  also be influenced by factors related to their
  socio-economic background and previous
  experience.
• In some schools, for example, there exists a
  large percentage of children who use English as a
  second language. This has direct implications
  for literacy development.

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What other factors potentially impact on literacy
and numeracy development?

• Home environment
• Exposure to resources, communication and
  interaction, modelling
• Pre-school experience
• Language background
• Developmental stage

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What does literacy encompass?

• speaking
• listening
• reading
• writing
• viewing
•  

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What does numeracy encompass?

• number study (counting, place value, ordination,
  fractions)
• operations (addition, subtraction,
  multiplication, division)
• measurement (money, time)
• shape (2d, 3d, tessellation)
• size (length, mass, volume)

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Literacy Numeracy development in pre-school

• Geared to stages of child development
• Literacy and numeracy is usually not taught in a
  formal sense but teachers provide enormous
  opportunities through a wide and varied range of
  mediums for children to progress and develop
  their literacy and numeracy awareness and skills
• Classroom environment, interactions and
  resources, developing the concepts and language
  underpinning becoming literate and numerate.
•  
•  

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Checklists in preschool based on guidelines
foundation learning areas

• Observations
• Anecdotal records
• Work samples
• Looking for INDICATORS of literacy and numeracy
  development

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• Some literacy indicators
• listens to speaker
• contributes to discussion
• speaks in complete sentences
• asks and answers questions
• expresses needs and wants
• retells story events in sequence

• is aware print carries a message
• attempts to write
• recognises name
• recognises some letters
• displays reading like behaviour
• can locate print and illustrations
• clear articulation
• tells use of objects

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• Some numeracy indicators
• recognises a square/circle
• matches and sorts objects
• rote counts to 5
• logical puzzle completion

• plays imaginatively
• recognises numbers to 5
• has a concept of time
• has a concept of size
• has a concept of position

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What if children did not achieve these outcomes
by term 4.

• A notable lack of these skills indicates the
  child needs more time to develop.
• The teacher also needs to be aware a child may
  have some form of impairment or learning
  disability.
• Specialist assistance is available to follow up
  on teachers/parentsconcerns.
•  

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• Traditional setting
• Short term context room and teacher/s and
  commitment
• teachers less encouraged to form close
  relationship with students and parents
• not connected to younger siblings
• teachers view - new class next year

• Within a MAG setting
• Long term context and commitment
• more opportunity for close relationships to form
  between parties
• prepares the way for younger siblings
• sibling already familiar with the particular
  class context
• teacher/s in better position to cater for
  children through long term knowledge and
  relations with family.

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Disadvantages of Multiage

• 1. Teacher/s may not remain at a particular
  school for the required number of years.
•  
•  

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• Teacher transfer policy
• Due to a variety of circumstances, teachers are
  transferred from schools.
• If this happens with regularity, the smooth
  functioning of the MAG classroom will suffer.
• A certain continuity and stability of staff is
  required if multiage groupings are to function
  effectively and reap the advantages.

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Disadvantages of Multiage

• 2. Greater demands are made on classroom
  management and planning skills.
•  
•  

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• MAG teacher planning and organisation
• Teachers need to be extremely well organised,
  well planned and flexible.
• Teachers need to cater for childrens different
  stages and have activities planned that allow
  children to practise their skills, extend,
  consolidate, revise or revisit what they have
  learnt.
• Teachers need to promote MAG and communicate
  effectively with parents and community members
  and be able to welcome them into their
  classrooms as co- facilitators of learning.

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Disadvantages of Multiage

• 3. Potential for teacher/child or teacher/parent
  personality conflict is accentuated due to the
  extended time together.
•  
•  

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• MAG teacher interpersonal skills and confidence
• In spite of everything it is always possible to
  have personality conflict with a child or their
  parent.
• Potential conflict may be exacerbated if the
  child is with the same teacher for a number of
  years.

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Disadvantages of Multiage

• 4. Greater potential for narrowing of learning
  experiences over time.
•  
•  

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• If a teacher has likes and dislikes in curriculum
  areas this may reflect on the learning
  experiences they provide over a three year period
  e.g. music, drama, maths, HPE.
• BUT there is usually more than one teacher which
  typically allows teachers specialisations to
  come to the fore and school administrators would
  have a duty to monitor the situation.
• Team teaching, cooperative teaching.

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• Rural schools, one teacher schools, teaching
  principal schools are inevitably multiage!
• Rural school communities are often more accepting
  of the multiage classroom as traditionally they
  have never been any different.
• The isolation and locality logistics usually mean
  that these communities function on a collegial
  basis and the school setting is no different.

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Weighing it up

• The advantages of the multiage classroom setting
  outweigh the disadvantages.
• Multiage settings meet with criteria for
  Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP).
• DAP provides an educational program that is age
  appropriate and appropriate to the individual
  needs of the child.

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Weighing it up

• DAP considers the childs progression through
  developmental stages and is based on the
  assumption that learning must be child-centred
  and child-directed and that the teachers role is
  that of facilitator.
• (Hallahan, Kauffman, Lloyd, 1999, p.198)

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How to plan for Multiage 1

• Teachers of multiage classes need highly
  developed management skills. They need to be
  extremely well organised and be a manager of
  learning and people. Gaustad (1995, p.1) states
  that the teacher of multiage students needs an
  indepth knowledge of child development and
  learning and a larger repertoire of instructional
  strategies than most single-grade teachers
  possess.

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How to plan for Multiage 2

•  Teachers need to
• plan open-ended activities that are accessible to
  students at a variety of levels
• know when and how to best group children for
  tasks
• be proficient in assessing, evaluating and
  recording student progress

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How to plan for Multiage 3

•  Teachers need to
• be able to teach social skills and independent
  learning
• know how to plan work cooperatively (as team
  teaching is commonly combined with multi-age
  classrooms)
•  be able to explain multi-age practices to
  parents and other community members
• build understanding and support for their use.

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How to plan for Multiage 4

•  Teachers also need to
• Identify childrens abilities in each area of the
  curriculum areas
• ascertain the previous experiences of the
  children and their areas of interest
• make some flexible forms of stage-based and
  interest groupings

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How to plan for Multiage 5

•  Teachers also need to
• study curriculum requirements and determine which
  activities will be whole class activities and
  which will be small group activities
• create an appropriate physical layout of the
  classroom and the necessary learning centres.
• provide areas for independent learning. This
  might be as simple as a construction area for
  five year olds with blocks or a research area for
  seven year olds with information texts and
  computer access.

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•  
• Plan around a curriculum integration device
• e.g. project approach that has been generated by
  the childrens interest. Remember that planning
  for multiage is cyclic and therefore, the same
  curriculum integration device cannot be repeated
  for as much as three years depending on the age
  levels of the students.

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• When choosing a curriculum integration device,
  will it adapt to childrens different stages.
• Is it challenging enough for the older students?
  
•  
• Will it lend itself to independent extensions of
  learning?
•  
• Will it entice the younger children to want to
  know more?
•  
• Does it draw on the some background and prior
  experience from all age levels?
•  
•  

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Lessons might be introduced to the whole class,
then children guided through a variety of stage-
based activities. Teacher monitors learning
experiences and ensures that children are working
on activities that require minimal supervision at
times when s/he may need to introduce new
concepts to other groups.
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Classroom support

• Recruit as many parent and community helpers in
  the class as possible. They are an invaluable
  resource and help create a meaningful link
  between the school and the community.
• Timetable their assistance into the weekly plan
  for the class. Utilise their particular skills
  (e.g. woodwork, sewing, craft, music, gardening).
  

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• Program teacher aide time and consider how you
  can demonstrate to helpers how they can best add
  value to the learning situation.
• They will need to know the basic classroom
  routine and general rules.
• It is also advantageous to provide pointers to
  assist them to carry out the tasks you set
  successfully.
• Pointers may include how to constructively
  listen to readers, supervise learning
  activities and games, and respond to childrens
  squabbles or complaints etc.
• Try to ensure their experience is a successful
  one and their time and assistance is
  acknowledged.

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Adding value to volunteer helpTraining and
Recognition  

• Some schools provide training for their
  volunteers and issue certificates documenting
  skills such that the volunteer can then use the
  certificate in gaining paid work in the future.
• Besides MAG teachers and students saying thank
  you, the school may also participate in showing
  appreciation e.g. a morning tea once a term for
  all volunteer helpers.

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Planning on a daily basis  

• When planning for P-Year 3
• utilise the optimum learning time for young
  children wisely e.g. a block morning session
• during this time, external interruptions to the
  class are kept at a minimum and specialist
  lessons are scheduled for another time of the day
• be prepared to negotiate with specialist teachers
  (i.e. Physical Education, Music, Library
  teachers) to have these lessons in the middle or
  afternoon sessions.

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Checks and balances on curriculum  

• Ensure that the learning activities that are
  being facilitated by you as the teacher provide
  an appropriate balance of time between curriculum
  areas.
• Although the nature of the multiage class often
  precludes the strict demarcation between one
  subject area and another, the teacher needs to
  plan and facilitate the learning experiences in
  such a way as to ensure that the necessary areas
  of the curriculum are being given due attention.

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Classroom environment

• Ideally the multiage classroom needs
• floor space including a meeting area for
  children sit in circles or other groupings for
  discussions or story time
• work stations for such activities as reading,
  writing, computing, maths games and activities,
  puzzles and blocks, science, music, drawing and
  collage/construction, water play, listening and
  viewing
• sufficient resources to cater to the needs of
  children at different stages within the class

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Classroom environment

• Ideally the multiage classroom needs
• desks, chairs along with larger tables that older
  or bigger children will feel comfortable working
  at when in groups
• bright, stimulating and inviting interiors -
  childrens work needs to be celebrated and
  displayed inside the room.
• arrange for as many display and cork board areas
  as is possible.

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Classroom environment

• Ideally the multiage classroom needs
• activities and resources need to be readily
  accessible by the children
• children need to know the routine of the room,
  where to access materials for say, collage, how
  to operate computers effectively and how to tidy
  up their areas well
• outline safety considerations to children and
  reiterate them frequently so they know what is
  expected. (e.g. walk dont run, do not move
  around with scissors etc.).

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So what are the issues involved?
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• Study Activities
• Search and collect information on how to
  integrate curriculum areas when planning.
• How does New Basics integrate curriculum areas?
  Investigate Education Queensland website
  http//education.qld.gov.au/
• Revisit New basics curriculum organisers
• http//education.qld.gov.au/corporate/newbasics/ht
  ml/about/about_co.html
• 4. Investigate the Multiage Association of
  Queensland http//www.maag.org.au/
• (25.00 to join via the web)
• 5. Investigate Multiage links at
  http//www.multiage-education.com/multiagelinks/