Professional learning course

1. Professional learning course Examining the Literacy teaching guide: Phonics

2. Acknowledgement of Country We acknowledge the traditional Custodians of this Land, where the Aboriginal People have performed age-old ceremonies of storytelling, music, dance and celebration. We acknowledge and pay respect to the Elders past and present, and we acknowledge those of the future, for they will hold the memories, traditions and hopes of Aboriginal Australians. We must always remember that under the concrete and asphalt this Land is, was and always will be traditional Aboriginal Land.

3. Professional Teaching Standards Standards addressed at Professional Competence in this workshop include: 1.2.2: Apply research-based, practical and theoretical knowledge of the pedagogies of the content/ discipline(s) taught to meet the learning needs of students. 6.2.1: Reflect critically on teaching and learning practice to enhance student learning outcomes. 6.2.3: Engage in professional development to extend and refine teaching and learning practices. 3

4. Anticipated learning • During this session, you will: • clarify your understanding of phonics and its significance as an early literacy skill • debunk myths about teaching phonics and examine principles for teaching phonics • examine a sequence for the systematic teaching of phonics • consider how to incorporate the explicit and systematic teaching of phonics within a balanced and integrated literacy program • reflect on and apply your new learning when assessing, planning and teaching phonics. 4

5. Contents of the guide Introduction About phonics teaching Explicit phonics teaching in action Bibliography Appendices

6. Section 1 - Introduction Purpose Links to the Literacy Continuum About this guide Exposing phonics myths Catering for student diversity when teaching phonics

7. Purpose, Links to the Literacy Continuum & About this guide Task 1 • Work in pairs. • Each person reads an allocated section of the guide and shares key information with a partner: • Purpose - p. 6 • Links to the Literacy Continuum and About this guide - pp. 6 & 7

8. Exposing phonics myths • Work in pairs: • Read each myth from the handout and record your own beliefs about the statement, based on your own practice and experience. • Swap sheets with your partner, who will record their own beliefs and experiences beside yours. • Refer to pages 8 and 9 to compare your joint responses with those in the guide. • Highlight statements/beliefs that match with the guide. • Discuss your findings with the group. Task 2

9. Catering for student diversity when teaching phonics Task 3 • Individually read Catering for student diversity when teaching phonics - pp. 10-11. • Note the implications for your classroom and your school. • Share these implications with your partner/group.

10. Section 2 - About phonics teaching Principles of effective phonics teaching Phonics methods Sequencing phonics instruction NSW English K-6 syllabus and the Four Literacy Resources model Explicit, systematic, balanced and integrated Modelled, guided and independent teaching Early years’ teachers talk about phonics

11. Principles of effective phonics teaching Task Task 4 Group collage • Refer to pages 12-14 of the guide: Principles of effective phonics teaching • As you read each principle, record the key words/phrases on separate post-it notes • Share and collate responses in the form of a collage and give it an appropriate title.

12. Phonics methods Task 5 Synthetic phonics Analytic phonics Analogy phonics • Read the descriptions on page 15. • Consider these approaches in the light of your own experiences with phonics programs or methods you may have used.

13. Sequencing phonics instruction Task 6 • ‘Teaching phonics using an effective sequence will facilitate student learning.’ • Pages 16-19 deal with the order of teaching the knowledge and skills associated with the individual phonemes which make up our language. • Read through these pages in order to share how it directs you to plan for explicit and systematic phonics teaching.

14. English K-6 Syllabus links and the Four Literacy Resources model Task 7 Think–Pair–Share • What does our English K-6 Syllabusmandate about teaching phonics? • How does the Four Literacy Resources model support the teaching of phonics? Task

15. Explicit, systematic, balanced and integrated Task 8 • Read through the dot points listed on page 22. • Use them to reflect on your own phonics teaching. • Place a: •  to identify current practices • ? to identify practices that could be improved • * to identify practices that need to be included. • Share these with your partner/group. Task 7

16. Modelled, guided and independent teaching Task 9 • Read through this section on the three teaching strategies on pages 24 and 25. • As you read, use your handout to record the key words and phrases for each strategy. • Share with the group.

17. Section 3 - Explicit phonics teaching in action Navigating this section of the guide At a glance: The phonics aspect of the Literacy Continuum A process for explicit and systematic phonics teaching The process in action: Phonics

18. At a glance: The phonics aspect of the Literacy Continuum

19. A process for explicit and systematic phonics teaching … a continuous cycle of assessment, planning and instruction

20. The process in action Task 10 Choose another learning goal Choose an appropriate teaching focus

21. The process in action Task 10 What would these steps look like for your new teaching focus?

22. Section 4 - Appendices Glossary Websites Supporting students with significant difficulties Supporting Aboriginal students Supporting ESL students Supporting students from low socio-economic backgrounds The Four Literacy Resources model Linking the NSW English K-6 Syllabus and the Literacy Continuum Ideas for practising and applying phonics learning

23. Ideas for practising and applying new learning Task 10 Refer to The process in action planning sheets. • Locate the same cluster of markers as in the last activity. • Select and record one or two ideas that you could use to support students to practise and independently apply new phonemic awareness learning.

24. Post - workshop task - Applying new learning Task 10 • If necessary complete the planning begun in today’s session. • Implement your phonics lesson/series of lessons using A process for explicit and systematic phonics teaching (p. 31) • Be prepared to share your experiences at a team /stage meeting at a later date.

25. Reflection task Task 11 • Refer to your Task 8 handout or pp. 22-23 of the guide. • Re-consider your practice in light of your progressive understanding of The process in action. • Review your reflection, in terms of how you might include or improve, and once again share with a partner. Reflection is not profitable unless it affects practice. Edwards-Groves, 2003

26. REFLECTION

27. Bibliography Edwards-Groves, C.J. (2003) On task: Focused literacy learning, Primary English Teaching Association (PETA), Sydney, NSW. Literacy teaching guide: Phonics (2009) Curriculum K-12 Directorate, NSW Department of Education and Training, Sydney, NSW. An introduction to quality literacy teaching (2009) Curriculum K-12 Directorate, NSW Department of Education and Training, Sydney, NSW.