Primary English Curriculum and Pedagogy unit (EMT611)

Online

Introduction

Children encounter a wide range of texts in their lives. They are expected to read, interpret, and create these texts across learning areas. This unit emphasises explicit instruction in reading and writing, with a focus on genre, grammar, and curriculum alignment. Students explore how socio-cultural contexts shape meaning, and how texts vary in field, tenor, and mode. Evidence-based practices are used to support literacy teaching, learning, and assessment. Written genres such as recounts, explanations, reports, and persuasive texts are taught across subjects. The unit also investigates children’s literature, with a deep study of picture books to support multimodal comprehension and critical literacy. Students learn to teach reading and writing with clarity, confidence, and disciplinary knowledge.
 

 

Summary

Unit name	Primary English Curriculum and Pedagogy
Unit code	EMT611
Credit points	12.5
College/School	Arts and Society Faculty of Education
Discipline	Education
Coordinator	Professor Robyn Cox
Delivered By	University of Tasmania
Level	Postgraduate

Availability

Location	Study period	Attendance options		Available to
Online	Semester 1

Note

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Key Dates

Study Period	Start date	Census date	WW date	End date
Semester 1	22/02/2027	16/03/2027	19/04/2027	13/06/2027

* The Final WW Date is the final date from which you can withdraw from the unit without academic penalty, however you will still incur a financial liability (refer to How do I withdraw from a unit? for more information).

Unit census dates currently displaying for 2027 are indicative and subject to change. Finalised census dates for 2027 will be available from the 1st October 2026. Note census date cutoff is 11.59pm AEST (AEDT during October to March).

About Census Dates

Learning Outcomes

• Apply your theoretical knowledge of the English discipline to interpret texts and their potential for teaching
• Apply the skills of textual analysis to (a) children’s writing samples; and (b) children’s literature
• Transform your knowledge of theory and pedagogies to design critical and creative classroom experiences

Fee Information

Field of Education	Commencing Student Contribution 1,3	Grandfathered Student Contribution 1,3	Approved Pathway Course Student Contribution 2,3	Domestic Full Fee 4
070105	$613.00	$613.00	not applicable

• Available as a Commonwealth Supported Place
• HECS-HELP is available on this unit, depending on your eligibility³
• FEE-HELP is available on this unit, depending on your eligibility⁴

¹ Please refer to more information on student contribution amounts.
² Please refer to more information on eligibility and Approved Pathway courses.
³ Please refer to more information on eligibility for HECS-HELP.
⁴ Please refer to more information on eligibility for FEE-HELP.

If you have any questions in relation to the fees, please contact UniConnect or more information is available on StudyAssist.

Please note: international students should refer to What is an indicative Fee? to get an indicative course cost.

Requisites

Prerequisites

EMT511

Teaching

Teaching Pattern	Online: Weekly online lecture (1 hour), weekly online tutorial (2 hours), independent learning (8 hours)
Assessment	Teaching Writing through text Analysis (20%)|Reading, Viewing, Designing: Multimodal Literacy (40%)|Writing with Subject Knowledge: Reading to Understand, Writing to Express (40%)
Timetable	View the lecture timetable | View the full unit timetable

Textbooks

Required

Derewianka, B. & Jones, P. (2016). Teaching language in context (2nd edn.). Oxford University Press. Lewis, D. (2001). Reading contemporary picturebooks: Picturing Text. Routledge. Reading Lists provide direct access to all material on unit reading lists in one place. This includes eReadings and items in Reserve.

Recommended

Duncan, D. (2009). Teaching children’s literature: Making stories work in the classroom. Routledge. Fellowes, J. & Oakley, G. (2014). Language, literacy and early childhood education. (2nd ed.). Oxford. Gamble, N. (2019). Exploring children’s literature (4th edn). Sage. Humphrey, S., Droga, S. & Feez, S. (2012). Grammar and meaning. Primary English Teaching Association of Australia. Kress, G., & Van Leeuwen, T. (2006). Reading images: The grammar of visual design. Routledge. Lewis, D. (2001). Reading contemporary picturebooks: Picturing text. Routledge. Nodelman, P., & Reimer, M. (2002). The pleasures of children’s literature. Allyn & Bacon. Rossbridge, J. & Ruston, K. (2015). Put it in writing: Context, text and language. PETAA. Rudd, D. (ed). (2010). The Routledge companion to children’s literature. Routledge. Russell, D. L. (2015). Literature for children: A short introduction (8th ed.). Sage.

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