Angelique Bosman 10838795

Literacy cannot simply be defined as the ability to read and write, rather it is the
assimilation of speaking, listening, reading and writing applied in order to
construct meaning in a range of contexts. ‘Effective literacy is intrinsically
purposeful, flexible and dynamic and continues to develop throughout an
individual’s lifetime’ (Winch, et al., 2006, p. xxxii). Literacy also draws on the
individual’s ability to think critically and to gain meaning from texts in a social
context. The NSW K-6 English Syllabus is founded upon the social view of
language development and resonates well with the idea that ‘literacy is used to
develop knowledge and understanding, to achieve personal growth and to
function effectively in our society’ (Winch, et al., 2006, p. xxxii). There are two
main views that are held in regard to the way children learn and apply literacy
skills. The first claim that literacy occurs in a social context and that meaning is
constructed from what a child experiences at home and in his or her community
and therefore brings these practices to school.

This ‘sociocultural view argues that comprehension and literacy can generally be
seen only in their social and cultural setting: Texts are parts of lived, talked,
enacted, value-and-belief laden practices carried out in specific places and at
specific times’ (Winch, et al., 2006, p.32). Others argue that while cultural factors
are important, they play a secondary role. Close attention should be given to the
necessary skills of literacy, which will allow children to learn to read, write, and
understand. This view is influenced by cognitive psychology and focuses on skills
students need to interpret writing structures. None of these views are essentially
correct and both contain weaknesses but if used in conjunction they can be
powerful tools for teaching a balanced approach to literacy. ‘The importance of
the reader, the writer, the code and the sociocultural context of the text are all
considered as important in finding meaning and teaching children to read’
(Winch, et al., 2006, p.33).

The current K-6 English Syllabus separates key learning areas in literacy into
three strands. These strands consist of reading, writing, talking and listening,

1
Angelique Bosman 10838795

which allow students to continually develop well rounded literacy skills. There are
a number of approaches when teaching writing, however I feel that both the
sociolinguistic and the genre approach can both be used effectively in a social
context. ‘The sociolinguistic approach emphasises the strong link between
language and social contexts’ (Winch, et al., 2006, p.335). It highlights the
importance of the communicative function of the text in determining the structure
of the piece of writing. Winch, et al., (2006, p.335) illustrates that a letter to a
friend or family member has a different structure and language to that of a letter
of complaint about an unfair practice. It is important to teach children about
language in context so that children can determine for themselves when it is
appropriate to use certain language and structures. ‘The matching of register to
situation is something most of us do without really thinking about it. We simply
use language in the way that ‘feels right’ (Wray, 1994, p.13). If this is not
achieved it could become very hard to function normally in society. Ways of
allowing children to see this difference could be to ask them to think about the
language they use whilst in the classroom and then compare this to the language
they use at home. Before students begin their writing task teachers could ask
students about the two letters, What is different? What is the same? Why are
certain types of language appropriate and not others? This will allow children to
differentiate between colloquial and formal language structures and allow them to
correctly use these types of language appropriately.

The genre approach involves classifying different pieces of writing into genres.
Each piece of writing has structural elements that make it identifiable with a
certain text-type. ‘Genres make explicit the linguistic choices the people make
when they read and write, helping to explain why we choose a particular tense,
or structure a text in a certain way’ (Winch, et al., 2006, p.337). We must
however, make sure that when we teach the function and structure of certain
text-types that we are keeping them relevant to school life and society. ‘The role
prior knowledge plays in constructing new meanings has received considerable
attention by researchers’ (Anstey & Bull, 1996, p.130). For example, a procedure

2
Angelique Bosman 10838795

on how to make a banana smoothie in a 21st century kitchen is much more

relevant compared to a procedure on how to make the same smoothie without
electric appliances. ‘The types of texts selected in the curriculum should be
useful and relevant to school life and society’ (Winch, et al., 2006, p.337).

Reading plays an important role in the development of children’s literacy skills.

Children must utilise semantic, grammatical, graphonic-phonologic and visual
information skills in their reading in order to construct meaning from a text.
Without semantic knowledge children are not able to comprehend what they are
reading as they are unable to relate the text back to their own life. ‘The more they
(students) call on their own knowledge that they bring to reading, the better they
read. The topic of the text, the meanings of the words in the text, and the
reader’s knowledge or common or colloquial expressions, vocabulary, and
figurative language all affect the operation of the semantic cue system’ (Winch, et
al., 2006, p. 43). Reading as a class allows for teachers to seek out gaps in
literature that offer opportunities for the class to talk, listen and share ideas.
Choosing literature that has a moral or that reflects society’s values and ethics is
a good way to initiate class discussions about society and the individual
experiences of students. Grammatical information involves the reader to use his
or her knowledge of sentence structure and recognition of combinations of words
that can be used to create meaning. By using one’s knowledge of grammar,
students can anticipate what follows next in a text. ‘Linguists have pointed out
that grammatical cues are carried across sentences and not confined within
them. Words are connected throughout the text by special links called cohesive
ties’ (Winch, et al., 2006, p.50). Talking and listening are components of literacy
that form the basis of phonological-graphological information. Phonological
information comprises of hearing sounds and syllables and blending them
together while graphological information comprises of ones knowledge of letters
and letter patterns. The NSW K-6 Syllabus clearly outlines these reading
systems in an organised table that will allow the teacher to specifically choose
activities that focus on these skills. For example, students could proof read each

3
Angelique Bosman 10838795

others creative writing samples or the teacher could conduct a session that
involves reading and reflecting on literature that contains rhyming and alliteration.
In recent times most forms of literature contain visual aid that compliments the
texts and helps to convey meaning. Visual information can include pictures,
diagrams and icons. In order for meaning to be obtained the reader must
understand these visual types of information and competently combine the visual
with the print information. Digital literacy is becoming increasingly important as
multimodal tests like computers and the internet become paramount in today
society. ‘The characteristics of the digital environment, however, drive the new
skills and strategies within the framework that students must develop to become
effective 21st-century, digital learners’ (Stripling, 2010, p.2). Digital texts rely
heavily on visual images and in some circumstances can even extend the
meaning of the text. Readers use knowledge of the visual elements to increase
their understanding of the text as a whole. ‘The multimodal text of the internet
relies heavily on visual images’ (Winch, et al., 2006, p.55). Wordless picture
books or picture books with only limited text can be a useful teaching resource in
helping children to develop visual awareness. Jeanie Baker’s Home and Pat
Hutchins’ Rosie’s Walk would have no meaning without illustrations.

In recent times there has been ongoing debate about the need for an Australian
Curriculum. This has lead to An Australian Curriculum English K-6 Syllabus being
drafted and released in 2010. Changes have been made in regard to strands and
stages with the Australian Curriculum English K-6 Syllabus focusing on
developing the curriculum year by year not stage by stage. The other significant
difference is that the strands are defined as language, literature and literacy
instead of reading, writing, talking and listening. The strengths of having these
strands in the Australian Curriculum English K-6 Syllabus are that the strands are
interwoven and are not taught as separate modules. ‘They represent aspects of
learning that together can be addressed in any activity or sequence of work’
(ACARA, 2010, p.10). This will allow students to develop a holistic approach to
literacy and will give them more opportunities to practice literacy skills in a

4
Angelique Bosman 10838795

number of different ways. As a ‘national’ curriculum the Australian Curriculum

English K-6 Syllabus caters for a growing multicultural Australia and is relevant to
children of the twenty first century. There is also more of a focus on grammar in
the Australian Curriculum English K-6 Syllabus. This allows students to use
language effectively in order to enhance their learning.

‘Attention should be given to the teaching of grammar across all the

years of schooling to help students meet the demands of schooling
and their lives outside school. These demands include reading,
understanding, speaking, writing, and creating texts that describe,
narrate, analyse, explain, recount, argue, review, and so on’
(ACARA, 2010, p.7).

In most of the current English syllabuses across the states there has been little
focus on grammar and no unified teaching system. The Australian Curriculum
English K-6 Syllabus will help to erase this problem.

Literacy involves students developing skills in reading, writing, talking and

listening. Used in isolation, these skills take longer to perfect and little meaning
can be constructed from texts. This is why it is important that as teachers we
integrate literacy strands throughout lessons so that students can obtain the skills
they need in order to function properly in society. Lessons should be relevant to
student experiences and current issues that they may face in the future as well
as allowing students to make and share meaning through literature.

5
Angelique Bosman 10838795

Reference List

ACARA. (2010). Australian Curriculum English K-6 Syllabus.

Anstey, M., & Bull, G. (1996). The Literacy Lexicon. Erskineville: Prentice Hall
Australia Pty Ltd.

Board of Studies. (2007). English K-6 Syllabus. Sydney: Board of Studies NSW.

March, P., Holliday, M., Ljungdahl, L., Ross Johnston, R., Winch, G. (2006).
Literacy: Reading, Writing and Children’s Literature (3rd ed.). Victoria: Oxford
University Press.

Wray, D. (1994). Literacy & Awareness. London: Hodder & Stoughton.

Stripling, B. (2010). Teaching Students to Think in the Digital Environment:

Digital Literacy and Digital Inquiry. School Library Monthly, v.26 (8), 16-19.