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Foundations of Primary English unit (EMT511)

Minimum enrolment number of 12 applies to this offering. Should enrolments not reach the minimum number required for on-campus study, students may be transferred to the on-line offering and advised of this change before semester commences.

Introduction

This unit has a focus on contemporary approaches to the teaching of reading, including close attention to the teaching of phonemic awareness, phonics, word knowledge, and vocabulary instruction and reading comprehension of a wide range of texts. An emphasis of study will also be on teaching children writing, with a close study of text types and grammar. Throughout the unit there is also a strong focus on the pedagogical imperatives underpinning the English curriculum including explicit teaching, assessing student learning progress and catering for diverse learners. You will learn to apply this knowledge by developing a portfolio of lesson plans in reading and writing.

Summary

Unit name Foundations of Primary English
Unit code EMT511
Credit points 12.5
College/School Arts and Society
Faculty of Education
Discipline Education
Coordinator Mr David Shorter
Delivered By University of Tasmania
Level Postgraduate

Availability

Specific information on 2027 unit availability will be available in August

Learning Outcomes

  • Apply theoretical knowledge about the English discipline which attends to structured literacy in the Lifting Literacy Strategy.
  • Understand that reading instruction must attend 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.
  • Design a sequence of lessons which 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.

Fee Information

2027 fee information will be available in August.

Requisites

Concurrent Prerequisites

EMT502

Teaching

Teaching Pattern

You are expected to dedicate around ten hours per week to this unit. This may be divided as follows: Weekly Lecture (1 hour); Weekly Readings (2 hours); Weekly Tutorial (2 hours); Weekly Discussion Boards (1 hour); Assessment (5 hours). Your progress in this unit depends on your engagement with weekly online tutorials and discussion boards. 

AssessmentPhonic knowledge Assessment (20%)|Design a sequence of reading lessons (40%)|Vignette of practice – evaluation and reflection (40%)
TimetableView the lecture timetable | View the full unit timetable

Textbooks

Required

Fellowes, J., & Oakley, G. (2023). Language, literacy and early childhood education (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.
Derewianka, B., & Jones, P. (2016). Teaching language in context (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Perrin, R. (2020). Pocket guide to APA style (7th ed.). Cengage Learning*.
*Please note there is no requirement to purchase the Perrin text if you already have the previously required Faigley text.

Reading Lists provide direct access to all material on unit reading lists in one place. This includes eReadings and items in Reserve. You can access the Reading List for this unit from the link in MyLO, or by going to the Reading Lists page on the University Library website.

Recommended

Department of Education Employment and Workplace Relations. (2009). The early years learning framework. https://www.education.gov.au/early-years-learningframework-0
Emmitt, M., Zbaracki, M., Komesaroff, L., & Pollock, J. (2015). Language and learning: An introduction for teaching (6th ed.). Oxford University Press.
Hill, S. (2012). Developing early literacy: Assessment and teaching (2nd ed.). Eleanor Curtain.
Humphrey, S., Droga, L., & Feez, S. (2012). Grammar and meaning. PETAA.
NSW Department of Education and Training. (2007). Writing and spelling strategies: Assisting students who have additional learning support needs. NSW Department of Education and Training.
Oakhill, J., Cain, K., & Elbro, C. (2014). Understanding and teaching reading comprehension: A handbook. Routledge.
Oakley, G., & Fellowes, J. (2016). A closer look at spelling in the primary classroom. PETAA.
University of Tasmania (2015). APA 7th edition. In Referencing guide. Retrieved from https://utas.libguides.com/referencing/APA7th

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