Primary English 1

The focus of this unit is on teaching English to young students as they learn to communicate in a diverse social, cultural, and technological world. You will examine the teaching of English from a number of current theoretical perspectives and draw on curriculum documents to explore how children learn about language, literature, and literacy. Particular attention will be given to the role of phonological and phonemic awareness, vocabulary, comprehension, and the relationship between oral language and reading and writing in the early years of schooling. You will consider the influence of family and community contexts on students’ language and literacy development and strength-based strategies to support language development for diverse communities. The unit explores effective pedagogies in using oral language as part of the teaching of early reading and writing, and includes the use of digital technologies, to support the design of responsive, differentiated literacy experiences that advance students’ learning.