Literacy across the Curriculum

1. Literacy across the Curriculum Rebecca Anderson

2. Overview of this session • Introduce myself • KLA survey • Practical Activities • Characteristics of Effective Schools • Discussion • Hands-on starters for all classes

3. Can you read this? Unisg the icndeblire pweor of the hmuan mnid, aocdcrnig to rseecrah at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mttaer in waht oderr the lterets in a wrod are, the olny irpoamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rhgit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whoutit a pboerlm. Tihs is bucseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey ltteer by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Aaznmig, huh?

4. Why focus on Literacy? • Vocabulary, expression and organisational control; • Reading & writing; • Language; • Higher order questioning; • Self-esteem & motivation increases; • Inappropriate behaviour decreases; • Independent learners; • Empowering for students. (Deakin University, Middle Years Study) Routine class practice Leads to

5. Read the colours NOT the words (Stroop Effect)

6. Warm-UPS • How to make a hot dog book • Why? • Summarising • Drafting • Revising • Procedural • Practical

7. Characteristics of effective schools (http://www.education.vic.gov.au)

8. Shared vision and goals • reviewing and using multiple sets of trend data to improve student outcomes in literacy: • whole school level • student cohort level • individual student level • unity of purpose involving a consensus on values • teaching strategies consistently used • range of assessment tools used • consistency of practice • distributing resources across all essential learning strands • collegiality and collaboration • cross-curricular teacher teams and professional learning opportunities (http://www.education.vic.gov.au)

9. High expectations • all teachers taking an active role in supporting and monitoring students' progress in literacy • access and analyse school-level and student-level data to use for planning for and monitoring optimal literacy learning opportunities for students • communicating expectations about literacy achievement levels for all students • consistently modelling exemplary curriculum • providing students with intellectual challenge • think critically • work collaboratively • use and develop higher order thinking skills. (http://www.education.vic.gov.au)

10. Focus on Learning & Teaching • focus on achievement • study and organisational skills • strategic professional learning for teachers to support students at risk of being under-challenged in improving their literacy outcomes • recognition and transfer of prior learning • cooperative and individual-focused learning experience • professional learning to improve student literacy outcomes • individual, differentiated pre and post diagnostic literacy assessments • student self-assessment (http://www.education.vic.gov.au)

11. Literacy-based startersSpeaking and listening, reading and writing • Verbal tennis – divide class into 2 groups who take turns to say a word related to the current topic. No words can be repeated. Scored as tennis. • ABC as you enter – As students enter class give them each a letter of the alphabet (within reason, you may have to repeat some letters). They have to think of a key concept, keyword, related vocabulary or example to go round the room and start the class off • See handout for further examples

13. KLA based survey