Abstract:
Students literacy standards have over the last two decades been identified as an area of educational policy focus. For example, a focus on identifying individual students literacy needs and assisting teachers to effectively address these needs is evident in The Victorian Curriculum Standards Framework (CSF I and CSF II) and the current Victorian Curriculum Reform project. As a regional literacy consultant and a part-time tertiary educator I am actively involved in supporting the teaching and learning of both pre-service and practising teachers in the area of literacy. This experience has given rise to a simple yet highly effective model of literacy pedagogy which is outlined in this paper.
Specifically, I will discuss three areas on which this literacy pedagogy rests - the development of consistent and informed beliefs and understandings about how primary students acquire literacy skills; developing strategies to support the processes of decoding and encoding meaning and an emphasis on teaching a range of literacies in a contextualised manner. Most importantly I will discuss how my dual roles of department consultant and tertiary educator have highlighted this literacy pedagogy as applicable and highly effective for teachers at a range of career stages. n conclusion I suggest the implications this has for the ways in which government agencies can continue to support the development and growth of both teachers and students literacy skills.
Specifically, I will discuss three areas on which this literacy pedagogy rests - the development of consistent and informed beliefs and understandings about how primary students acquire literacy skills; developing strategies to support the processes of decoding and encoding meaning and an emphasis on teaching a range of literacies in a contextualised manner. Most importantly I will discuss how my dual roles of department consultant and tertiary educator have highlighted this literacy pedagogy as applicable and highly effective for teachers at a range of career stages. n conclusion I suggest the implications this has for the ways in which government agencies can continue to support the development and growth of both teachers and students literacy skills.