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EDU5LPD Assignment 1: Case Study

1. Student Profile
Socio-demographic profile

Sophie is 9 years old and attends Year 3 at a Catholic primary school in a small regional town
in Victoria. The school has 125 students, organised into six multi-age classes. Sophie is in a
class of 18 students (10 in Year 2, and 8 in Year 3). While Sophie is the only child in the class
with dyslexia, two other children have mild-ASD (diagnosed) and one child recently suffered a
major trauma due to death of a parent. Being a small school, there is a high degree of
involvement from the parents in the classroom.
Sophie has a stable home environment with significant parental support. Sophie has an 11-yearold and 6-year-old brother, both of whom are highly achieving academically. There are
concerns of comparison with her brothers; however there appears to be no identifiable affect on
Sophies sense of identity to date. While Sophies cultural background is Italian on the paternal
side of her family, the family is predominantly uni-lingual and English has always been the
only language spoken at home.
Reports from the Maternal and Child Health Nurse indicate that Sophie has demonstrated no
known developmental delays in physical or cognitive areas. While she is in the 30th percentile
for height, she is also only in the 20th percentile for weight meaning that her physical
development (while small) is proportionate and does not indicate any concern. Sophies speech
development, as assessed by her Speech Pathologist, indicates that she met all major milestones
and has always has an appropriate size of vocabulary and use of sounds and words in speech.
Sophie is a very happy, social and well-adjusted child at school, and she is very well-liked by
her peers. Sophie has not demonstrated the typical development of emotional problems that
students with dyslexia experience when early reading instruction does not match their learning
needs.
Learning Profile

Sophie has been assessed by a Speech Pathologist with moderate dyslexia at 8 years of age (6
months ago). Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It is
characterised by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling
and decoding abilities (Clark & Uhry, 1995; Dykman & Ackerman, 1992; MacKay, 2004). It is
referred to as a learning disability because dyslexia can make it very difficult for a student to
succeed academically in the typical instructional environment (Reid, 2013).
Specifically, Sophies form of dyslexia was assessed by her Speech pathologist as residing in a
reduced capacity of the working memory function. Drawing on Baddeley and Hitchs (1974)
model, working memory has two systems: the phonological loop retains material in a
phonological code that is highly susceptible to time-based decay, and the visuospatial

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sketchpad has limited capacities to represent information in terms of its visual and spatial
characteristics.
Working memory is known to be linked with reading ability. Gathercole, Alloway, Willis, and
Adams (2006) findings suggest that working memory skills represent an important constraint
on the development of skill and knowledge in reading. In typically developing samples of
children, scores on complex memory tasks predict reading achievement independently of
measures of phonological short term memory (Siegel & Ryan, 1989; Swanson, 1994, 2003;
Swanson, Ashbaker, & Lee, 1996; Swanson & Howell, 2001). For Sophie, the key presentation
is in very poor spelling and writing functions, and below average reading ability. Sophie also
has difficulties recalling sequential instructions when given verbally.
While students with dyslexia often end up feeling less capable than they actually are, Sophie
has many strengths that she has developed naturally to compensate for her dyslexia (Singer,
2005). Her artistic abilities are well-developed, and she often demonstrates creative solutions to
problems. Her sociability and creativity also allows her to articulate ideas well when spoken.
Sophie also relies heavily on her social skills to help her solve problems in class and aid her in
following teacher instructions when she has not understood. Sophie has high aspirations for her
education, and her enjoyment of artistic and creative pursuits have lead her to indicate that this
is a path she would like to follow in later years of schooling; she has indicated that she would
like to be an architect as she likes drawing and designing.
Support factors

The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cwlth) and the Disability Standards for Education
2005 (Cwlth) requires adjustments to teaching and learning experiences and assessment tasks to
enable a student to demonstrate their knowledge, skills or competencies. To comply with these
standards I would consult with the student and parent as part of the process to personalise
learning and adjustment reviews occur regularly, and are changed or withdrawn where
necessary. It is also important that all teachers across the curriculum will deploy a range of
strategies & resources designed to ensure that the curriculum content is appropriate to Sophies
level of understanding and interest. The ILP specifically provides a statement of purpose
designed to embed these critical factors.
Sophie has a stable home environment with significant parental support. Sophies parents had
early concerns during 4-year-old Kindergarten that she was not as articulate as her older
brother, however these concerns were dismissed by the educator and attributed to overly
anxious parenting and unfair sibling comparisons. Based on this negative experience, Sophies
parents were reluctant to voice concerns that arose later in the early years of primary school,
and this was compounded when Sophie was not identified for reading Recovery in Year 1.
However, the school and parents concerns emerged by Year 2, and as a result Sophies parents
sought the help of a Speech Pathologist who confirmed an assessment of moderate dyslexia
with specific focus on working memory function. The result of this process has been a
willingness to provide support and be involved with Sophies education, yet at the same time a
degree of mistrust due to missed opportunities for earlier intervention.

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2. Inclusive Strategies
Based on the work of Foreman (2008) and (Kelly & Lyons, 2008) successful inclusion is
contingent upon the active engagement and support of the school community, the provision of a
facilitative learning environment and the best quality teaching. Using this multivariate
approach, inclusive strategies therefore must be orientated to include the curriculum, the
classroom, the teacher and the school and macro level environment.
Curriculum & Assessment

Research suggests that learning activities in literacy classes often impose heavy demands on
working memory, resulting in frequent task failures in children with poor working memory
function. (Gathercole et al., 2006). As teachers will have the freedom to adapt class work,
homework, marking and assessments to fit the needs of the child within the supportive school
environment, several adaptions to the curriculum are possible. An assessment and plan
(provided with ILP) have been undertaken and shared by her Speech Pathologist, with whom
she attends sessions for 1 hour per week. This plan provides specific information for the
teaching of phonic awareness and letter identification, and forms the basis to help with
Sophies spelling. Sophie is also involved in the Year 3 Reading Recovery program each day
for 30 minutes of individual tuition. This is supported at home with an individual home reading
program.
While it is recognised that standardised testing may not be appropriate for dyslexic learners
(Reid, 2012), NAPLAN remains an important part of formal assessment. However, it is also
understood that classroom teachers will be best placed to decide which assessments are most
appropriate for Sophie and where possible alternative methods for recording work are used,
such as mind maps, story boards, flow charts, bullet points, power points, and oral
presentations. Differentiated writing tasks help to take into account that Sophie is verbally able
but has difficulty in recording, and this includes providing more time for assessment tasks.
Reinforcing positive self-identity is important for students with dyslexia, and therefore marking
for success is applied. This involves the use of highlighter marking at a ratio of 3 success
criteria met to 1 next step learning prompt.
Classroom routines & resources

Gathercole et al. (2006) predict that promoting teacher awareness of working memory loads in
classroom activities, and effective management of these loads for children with impairments of
working memory, should boost their learning. There exist a number of methods for reducing
working memory loads that could readily be applied to classroom practice.
It is critical for Sophie that verbal instructions are clear and concise, and where she does not
understand, she is encouraged to consult with her buddy. When Sophie does ask for help or
clarification, she is thanked to positively reinforce that practise, even when she has not been
listening. Sophie is regularly asked to repeat and explain in her own words what they have to

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do. To help further, learning intentions are repeated throughout the lessons, and a large
illustrated timetable is available in classroom.
Resource organisation is also critical to aiding Sophies learning. Access to equipment must be
well organised, clearly labelled and rehearsed. Examples of resources include: resources are
available of numbers 1-100, place value charts, days of the week, months of the year for Sophie
to access independently; a written and numerical example of the date is provided every day and
Sophie writes the date on at least one piece of work a day; and key topic words are displayed
and Sophie has access to word banks. Where possible, the benefits of technology can be
applied in the classroom as an alternative means of recording work. Where more traditional
means of teacher resources are used, Comic sans or Arial font, size 12 minimum is used, with
bold rather than underlining for key words, ideas and titles.
Role of the teacher

Research highlights the central role of teacher expectations in teaching students with dyslexia,
who were found to receive lower teacher ratings of writing achievement from their teachers
when their teacher held a more negative implicit attitude toward dyslexia. (Hornstra, Denessen,
Bakker, van den Bergh, & Voeten, 2010 p. 525) At the most basic level, it is important to the
language of success and possibility at all times, including positive language which is specific
eg: Make sure you change Y to ies at the end of these words rather than Dont forget to
. This will also reinforce Sophies positive identity and avoid esteem issues for as long as
possible (Humphrey, 2002, 2003).
Additionally, it is important that the school raises staff awareness and takes advantage of any
Professional Development opportunities to increase knowledge of best practice in meeting the
learning needs of children with dyslexia (Lewis & Norwich, 2004; MacKay, 2004; Richardson,
1996). Additionally, staff should be provided with particular guidance in relation to dyslexia
awareness so that they are well positioned to identify difficulties of a dyslexic nature,
understand the needs of dyslexic students and help them to learn more effectively.
Macro level factors

There has been a long history in speech and language therapy of working collaboratively with
parents (Bowen & Cupples, 2004), and as a result of technological developments in accessing
information, many parents now present with their children expecting to be team members in
developing individual learning plans and to engage collaboratively and cooperatively in
assessment and therapy (McWilliam, McWilliam, Winton, & Crais, 1996). Sophies parents
have made it clear to the school that they are willing partners in Sophies ongoing education
and needs.
It is also critical for the school to develop links with outside agencies (Berninger, 2001; Reid,
2013; Uhry & Clark, 2005), such as SPELD, to ensure consistency in a childs learning when
they receive additional support outside of school. The school can also draw on advice from the
range of support services available within the area. Access to specialist services can help the

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school to achieve a better understanding of the factors that may be helping or hindering
progress and to identify ways forward.
3. Individual Learning Plan1
SECTION 1: STUDENT DETAILS
Student Name: SOPHIE

Date of Birth: September 2006

School: Year 3, Catholic Primary School, VIC

School Contact Person: Classroom teacher

Date of Plan: 1 JULY 2015

Review Date: 14 SEPTEMBER 2014 (END OF TERM 3)

1.1 Plain English Description of the Issue:

Sophie is a Year 3 student with moderate dyslexia. The key to Sophies dyslexia lies in the working
memory function, which is not functioning at an age appropriate level, and she is not able to hold the
information for long enough in order to then apply what is required to the task at hand. This often
presents as though she does not understand the material or cant keep up. For Sophie, the key
presentation is in very poor spelling function and difficulty recalling sequential instructions.

1.2 Statement of Purpose

Each student with dyslexia should have access a positive and inclusive teaching environment that is
informed by current practice. Teaching staff should be knowledgeable of the unique nature of each
students specific learning needs and they should be familiar with the diverse pedagogical
competencies associated with the effective management of the educational needs of students with
dyslexia. Students will be provided with a relevant curriculum which is differentiated by presentation,
pace, level and outcome to meet their individual needs; this will include materials and tasks tailored
to suit their particular learning profile.

1.3 Student Support Group Membership:

School-based

Agency

Classroom teacher

Private Speech Pathologist

School Principal

Reading Recovery program teacher

School Learning Support advisor

Community

Classroom teacher aid

Parents Mother, father.

Note: Some of the information contained in the ILP for Sophie duplicates that which is contained in the case study.
This is important for the purposes of completeness, as the ILP would typically intended to be a stand-alone
document and may not necessarily be read or completed in conjunction with any other information.
2
This information in these Appendices would be included in the standalone ILP, and provide a comprehensive

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1.4 Services/Agencies (Workers currently involved with the student):

Worker

Details

Involvement

Private Speech
Pathologist

Undertakes clinical speech pathology therapy

with Sophie focussing on a plan of treatment
for dyslexia.

1 hour session per week.

Started at the beginning of

Term 1 2015.

Speech Pathology Inc.

Contact details
Ph: xxxx-xxx-xxx
Reading Recovery
program teacher

6 months/ 2 school terms.

To undertake one on one session with Sophie

within the reading recovery program
structure.
Within school, out of classroom.
Reading Recovery
Contact details
Ph: xxxx-xxx-xxx

30mins per day x 5 days per

week
6 months/ 2 school terms.
Started at the beginning of
Term 1 2015.

SECTION 2: UNDERSTANDING THE STUDENT

2.1 Students skills, strengths, preferences, abilities and motivations:
Sophie has many strengths that she has developed naturally to compensate for her dyslexia.
Her artistic abilities are well-developed, and she often demonstrates creative solutions to
problems. Her sociability and creativity also allows her to articulate ideas well when spoken.
Sophie also relies heavily on her social skills to help her solve problems in class and aid her in
following teacher instructions when she has not understood.
2.2 Academic progress general remarks re overall strengths and areas for development:
The key to Sophies dyslexia lies in the working memory function, which is not functioning at
an age appropriate level, and she is not able to hold the information for long enough in order
to then apply what is required to the task at hand. This often presents as though she does not
understand the material or cant keep up.
For Sophie, the key presentation is in very poor spelling and writing functions. Sophie also has
difficulties recalling sequential instructions when given verbally.
2.3 Social skills and relationships
Sophie is a very happy, social and well-adjusted child at school, and she is very well liked by
her peers.
2.4 Attendance and Engagement
Sophie has a stable home environment with significant parental support. Sophie has an 11year-old and 6-year-old brother, both of whom are highly achieving academically.
2.5 Supporting Documents (Provided with this ILP; to be linked electronically)
Speech Pathology report;
Detailed case study materials
School records (Prep-3) & NAPLAN results Year 3 2015
Reading Recovery Progress reports

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SECTION 3: DETAILED LEARNING GOALS

As Sophies dyslexia was diagnosed late, is important that remedial work continues where possible,
but the focus remains on enhancing her strengths and developing coping mechanisms to find
alternatives for her learning abilities. Therefore the goal selected focus primarily on enhancing her
strengths (Goals 1 & 2), with only one goal focussed solely on remedial work (Goal 3). The goals
selected reflect the Australian Curriculum English Content descriptors for Year 3 (see Appendix 2).
Goal 1:
Improve working memory through discussion-based activities.
Activity:

Listen to and contribute to conversations and discussions to share

information and ideas and negotiate in collaborative situations
(ACELY1676)

Strengths Related to
Goal:

Sophie is a very social child and finds it easy to interact with her
peers.
She enjoys classroom and small group discussions.

Barriers to Achieving
Goal:

Sophie needs to use her working memory to be able to keep pace

with the interactions and hold the information throughout the
exercises.
This will be challenging for Sophie, especially when the information
is sequential in nature.

Strategies to Achieve
Goal:

Sophie will need to be guided in using memory approaches, such as

building sequential memory, jotting down clues to help remind her
(may be pictures, or words)

Actions & Time-Line:

Assess Sophie at the start of Term 3 to benchmark her current

abilities to recall information from a discussion.
Reassess every 2 weeks during the class activity.
By the end of Term 4 Sophie should be able to accurately recall 50%
of the details presented in the activity.

Goal 2:
Enhance creativity in literature
Activity:

Create imaginative texts based on characters, settings and events

from students own and other cultures using visual features, for
example perspective, distance and angle (ACELT1601)

Strengths Related to
Goal:

Sophie enjoys activities involving imagination and creativity,

especially where artistic elements can be included.

Barriers to Achieving
Goal:

Sophie is often discouraged by text-based activities, as she finds

starting the task overwhelming.
She often focuses too much on the mechanical use of the text and
the barrier of getting her spelling correct, rather than the
imaginative aspects of creating literature.

Strategies to Achieve
Goal:

Focus on allowing Sophie to develop imaginative texts by first using

non-word based methods, such as drawing or verbal discussion.
This approach will start the activity on a positive note for Sophie,
and she will engage immediately rather than find it overwhelming to
start writing straight away.
Sophie can then translate her initial work into a text-based activity
with the guided help of the teacher, other students in a small group,
or the Teacher Aid.

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Actions & Time-Line:

SID #18252191

Assess Sophie at the start of Term 3 to benchmark her current

abilities to create an imaginative text.
Reassess every 2 weeks during the class activity.
By the end of Term 4 Sophie should be able to start the activity
using pictures and verbal discussion, and then transition this into a
text-based structure with limited guidance.

Goal 3:
Improve phonetics and phonology
Activity:

Understand how to use soundletter relationships and knowledge of

spelling rules, compound words, prefixes, suffixes, morphemes and
less common letter combinations, for example tion (ACELA1485)

Strengths Related to
Goal:

Sophie is willing to work hard in studying for spelling tests, and has
demonstrated that she is keen to improve.
She is not yet discouraged with her progress and the approach
employed should be very mindful not to create any discouragement.

Barriers to Achieving
Goal:

Sophies working memory function of phonological concepts is poor.

Strategies to Achieve
Goal:

Explicit one to one instruction is needed to progress in this area, and

small group work within the class is not productive for Sophie.
The Teacher Aid will work with Sophie for 15 mins each day during
the literacy lesson to progress this.

Actions & Time-Line:

Assess Sophie at the start of Term 3 to benchmark her current

abilities with a verbal and written test of 10 common words with
prefixes and suffixes.
Reassess every 2 weeks during the class activity.
By the end of Term 4 Sophie should be able to complete a test of 20
common words with suffixes and prefixes with an accuracy of
>60%.

Goal 4:
Pastoral support so as to provide opportunities to discuss anxieties and improve selfesteem.
Activity:

Classroom teacher and the principal to check-in with Sophie,

independently, and on a casual basis (eg, in the playground) to
ensure that she is coping with the increased focus on her dyslexia
and the additional activities in he classroom.

Strengths Related to
Goal:

Sophie does not currently present any issues related to self-esteem

or identity.

Barriers to Achieving
Goal:

No known barriers.

Strategies to Achieve
Goal:

Informal monitoring Sophies progress over the course of the term in

all areas, to ensure that she maintains a positive identity, and does
not present any issues either in the classroom or with peers.

Actions & Time-Line:

Discussion with parents at throughout the term to ensure that no

issues have arisen in this area.

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SECTION 4: REVIEW PROCESS

4.1 Data and information to be gathered
Updated and revised clinical assessment from Speech Pathologist at the end of Term 4.
Four Reading Recovery progress reports and assessments (at the end of week 4 in both Terms
3 and 4, and at the end of Terms 3 and 4). This will allow minor adjustments to be made as
needed. It is also encouraged to have discussion with the Reading Recovery teacher on an
ongoing basis to account for any issues that arise on a day to day and week to week basis.
In accordance with the Speech Pathologists request, I will undertake small tests to assess
Sophies working memory function each week on a Tuesday morning. The results of this will be
tracked over Term 3 and 4, and the results will be summarised and shared with the team.
4.2 Consultation process
Sophies parents are to be closely involved in the ILP process. It is recommended that the
teacher checks in with Sophies mother as she regularly attends school for pick up on
Wednesday-Friday. This relationship building will help facilitate the process and build support
between home and school. Sophies parents have also indicated that they are willing to be
contacted directly by phone should the need arise to discuss any issues.
Speech Pathologist to receive a copy of Sophies progress at the end of Term 4 in order to
provide written and verbal feedback and input. The Speech Pathologist will also provide a
revised plan with updated information on Sophies clinical results at this time.
4.3 Revision of ILP

A formal review of this ILP will take place at the end of Terms 3 and 4, as well as at the start
of the 2016 school year. (See attached schedule).

It is critical that there is a seamless transition between the 2015 and 2016 school years for
Sophie. The lack of remedial action to date has been a hindrance, and we do not want any
further time to be lost due to administrative inefficiencies. The 2016 classroom teacher will be
involved in the end of Term 4 review process, and the Reading Recovery teacher will continue
with Sophie next year.

Additionally, Sophies parents will be contacted prior to the start of the school year in 2016 to
discuss any significant changes/issues that may have occurred over the summer break, so that
they can be accounted for prior to the school year.

SECTION 5: AGREEMENT
Review 1:
End of Term 3

Review 2:
End of Term 4

Parent
Classroom Teacher (2015)
Classroom Teacher (2016)
Learning Support Advisor
Speech Pathologist
Reading Recovery Teacher
School Principal

Review 3:
Start of Term 1

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4. Reflections and Conclusions

The usefulness of an ILP rests in the extent to which it is appropriately developed and
implemented. There were several key limitations that I identified in searching for an ILP for
Sophie. A litmus test that I applied was if I had no knowledge of this student, and was required to
teach her, would I be able to modify my teaching appropriately based on the information
contained in this ILP, assuming that it would not typically be accompanied by a detailed case
study?
Many of the plans lacked sufficient detail that would enable me to codify, access and share
information. It was important that I modified the ILP so that relevant and important documents
(such as the assessment from the Speech Pathologist) were embedded (hyperlinked on the intranet)
so that information set was complete. This also ensures that Sophies parents do not have to
repeatedly provide documents that should be accessible by all members of Sophies learning
support team.
Another key element of the ILP was to embed the consultation process to enable best practise. Too
often consultation is an ideal, rather than an embedded practise with set goals and documented
outcomes. Following on from this, there needs to be a specific review process with pre-identified
data collection for measurable outcomes.
The end result of this is that the ILP expands to be more comprehensive than many of the
templates available. The requisite work to complete the ILP therefore expands as well. However,
this ensures that the ILP for Sophie is comprehensive, supported by easy access to essential
information, shared among the learning support team, embeds consultation and reviews processes,
and reduces the administrative burden on Sophies parents. While the inputs require more work,
the outcomes better achieve the inclusive practises that teachers and parents indicate they desire
for the child.
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(Antoniazzi, Snow, & Dickson-Swift, 2010; Baddeley, 1996, 2000, 2003; Baddeley & Hitch, 1974; Barrow, 2001; Berninger, 2001; Boder, 1973; Bowen & Cupples, 2004; Brady & Moats, 1997; Clark & Uhry, 1995; Daneman & Carpenter, 1980; Dykman & Ackerman, 1992; Exley, 2003; Foreman, 2008; Foreman, Arthur-Kelly, Pascoe, & King, 2004; Foreman & Arthur- Kelly, 2008; Forlin, 2001; Gathercole et al., 2006; Gersten, Baker, Haager, & Graves, 2005; Groom & Rose, 2005; Henry, 1997; Hines, 2001; Hornstra et al., 2010; Humphrey, 2002, 2003; Hwang & Evans, 2011; Jeffries & Everatt, 2004; Kiuru et al., 2012; Lerkkanen*, Rasku-Puttonen, Aunola, & Nurmi, 2004; Lewis & Norwich, 2004; MacKay, 2004; Matthews, 2009; McWilliam et al., 1996; Overy, 2000; Peer & Reid, 2001; Reid, 2012, 2013; Richardson, 1996; Riddick,
2001; Rose, 2009; Shaywitz, 1998; Siegel & Ryan, 1989; Singer, 2005; Snowling, 1981; Snowling, Duff, Petrou, Schiffeldrin, & Bailey, 2011; Swanson, 1994, 2003; Swanson et al., 1996; Swanson & Howell, 2001; Tzouveli, Schmidt, Schneider, Symvonis, & Kollias, 2008; Uhry & Clark, 2005; Wadlington & Wadlington, 2005)

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APPENDIX 1: WHAT IS DYSLEXIA?2

From the International Dyslexia Association www.interdys.org
Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It is
characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor
spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the
phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other
cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary
consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading
experience that can impede the growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.
From http://www.speldvic.org.au/information/for-teachers:
Dyslexia is often referred to as a hidden disability and is defined as an unexpected
difficulty in reading in comparison to ones intelligence. Although dyslexia varies from
person to person, common characteristics among people with dyslexia are difficulty
with spelling, phonological processing (the manipulation of sounds), numeracy and/or
auditory short term memory.
Characteristic features of dyslexia are:
o

Phonological awareness is defined as the ability to identify and manipulate

the sounds in words, and is recognised as a key foundation skill for early
word-level reading and spelling development. For example, phonological
awareness would be demonstrated by understanding that if the p in pat is
changed to an s, the word becomes sat.

Verbal (phonological short-term) memory is the ability to retain an

ordered sequence of verbal material for a short period of time. It is used, for
example, to recall a list of words or numbers or to remember a list of
instructions.

Verbal processing speed is the time taken to process familiar verbal

information, such as letters and digits. Difficulties in these areas can be
thought of as reflecting disorders in the systems that are involved in
processing information about word sounds (phonology).

Further Information:
http://www.speldvic.org.au/information/dyslexia-and-ld
http://www.dyslexia-australia.com.au
http://www.dyslexia.org.au

This information in these Appendices would be included in the standalone ILP, and provide a comprehensive
summary of the specific issue being addressed. It is assumed that all parties using this document do not have the
same level of understanding about what might be complex terms, and therefore reduces inefficiencies created from
misunderstanding.

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APPENDIX 2: YEAR 3 ENGLISH CONTENT DESCRIPTIONS

LANGUAGE
Language variation and
change

Understand that languages have different written and visual

communication systems, different oral traditions and different ways of
constructing meaning (ACELA1475)

Language for interaction

Understand that successful cooperation with others depends on shared use

of social conventions, including turn-taking patterns, and forms of address
that vary according to the degree of formality in social situations
(ACELA1476)
Examine how evaluative language can be varied to be more or less forceful
(ACELA1477)

Text structure and

organisation

Understand how different types of texts vary in use of language choices,

depending on their purpose and context (for example, tense and types of
sentences) (ACELA1478)
Understand that paragraphs are a key organisational feature of written
texts (ACELA1479)
Know that word contractions are a feature of informal language and that
apostrophes of contraction are used to signal missing letters (ACELA1480)
Identify the features of online texts that enhance navigation (ACELA1790)

Expressing and
developing ideas

Understand that a clause is a unit of grammar usually containing a subject

and a verb and that these need to be in agreement (ACELA1481)
Understand that verbs represent different processes, for example doing,
thinking, saying, and relating and that these processes are anchored in
time through tense (ACELA1482)
Identify the effect on audiences of techniques, for example shot size,
vertical camera angle and layout in picture books, advertisements and film
segments (ACELA1483)
Learn extended and technical vocabulary and ways of expressing opinion
including modal verbs and adverbs (ACELA1484)
Understand how to use soundletter relationships and knowledge of
spelling rules, compound words, prefixes, suffixes, morphemes and less
common letter combinations, for example tion (ACELA1485)
Recognise high-frequency sight words (ACELA1486)

LITERATURE
Literature and context

Discuss texts in which characters, events and settings are portrayed in

different ways, and speculate on the authors reasons (ACELT1594)

Responding to literature

Draw connections between personal experiences and the worlds of texts,

and share responses with others (ACELT1596)
Develop criteria for establishing personal preferences for literature
(ACELT1598)

Examining literature

Discuss how language is used to describe the settings in texts, and explore
how the settings shape the events and influence the mood of the narrative
(ACELT1599)
Discuss the nature and effects of some language devices used to enhance

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meaning and shape the readers reaction, including rhythm and

onomatopoeia in poetry and prose (ACELT1600)
Creating literature

Create imaginative texts based on characters, settings and events from

students own and other cultures using visual features, for example
perspective, distance and angle (ACELT1601)
Create texts that adapt language features and patterns encountered in
literary texts, for example characterisation, rhyme, rhythm, mood, music,
sound effects and dialogue (ACELT1791)

LITERACY
Texts in context

Identify the point of view in a text and suggest alternative points of

view(ACELY1675)

Interacting with others

Listen to and contribute to conversations and discussions to share

information and ideas and negotiate in collaborative situations
(ACELY1676)
Use interaction skills, including active listening behaviours and
communicate in a clear, coherent manner using a variety of everyday and
learned vocabulary and appropriate tone, pace, pitch and
volume(ACELY1792)
Plan and deliver short presentations, providing some key details in logical
sequence (ACELY1677)

Interpreting, analysing,
evaluating

Identify the audience and purpose of imaginative, informative and

persuasive texts (ACELY1678)
Read an increasing range of different types of texts by combining
contextual, semantic, grammatical and phonic knowledge, using text
processing strategies, for example monitoring, predicting, confirming,
rereading, reading on and self-correcting (ACELY1679)
Use comprehension strategies to build literal and inferred meaning and
begin to evaluate texts by drawing on a growing knowledge of context,
text structures and language features (ACELY1680)

Creating texts

Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts

demonstrating increasing control over text structures and language
features and selecting print, and multimodal elements appropriate to the
audience and purpose (ACELY1682)
Reread and edit texts for meaning, appropriate structure, grammatical
choices and punctuation (ACELY1683)
Write using joined letters that are clearly formed and consistent in size
(ACELY1684)
Use software including word processing programs with growing speed and
efficiency to construct and edit texts featuring visual, print and audio
elements (ACELY1685)

Source: www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/english/curriculum/f-10?layout=1#level3

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