Shanelle Feillafe S00195261 EDLA 264

Assignment 2
Critical Reflective Essay

Children commence primary school with an array of reading and writing knowledge. Some
children have experience from Kindergarten in early literacy skills and understandings, such as how
to hold a book, listen to stories, write their names and recognise letters (Flint, Kitson, Lowe &
Shaw, 2014). Other children will be learning these skills for the first time when entering the
classroom. It is crucial for teachers in the early primary setting to be aware individual differences in
their students and to foster literacy development that caters for all their students.

When focusing on literacy development, there is no distinct set of skills to be mastered in a set
order to be achieved at a particular age. The International Reading Association, along with the
National Association for the Education of Young Children Development, devised a literacy plan that
provides a framework to guide teachers to think in terms of three phrases when planning for their
early literacy classrooms (Flint et al, 2014). In early primary years, Foundation to Year 2, children
are ready to extend their literacy knowledge, thus teachers use this information from the three
phrases to develop their own plans and goals for what they wish to accomplish. Effective literacy
teachers are able to be mindful of the varied array of literacy needs in their classroom and to not
focus solely on generic year level goals (Flint et al, 2014).

The Critical Theory of the Four-Resource Model developed by Freebody and Luke (1990)
identifies four practices in which young children learn to read and write. The model is inline with
the Australian Curriculum, has four quadrants and guides teachers to plan and deliver a balanced
literacy program to their students. The model covers the mechanics of reading; the critical
interpretation of text, to text that are meaningful and how participants have a part to play in
engaging with different forms of text (Freebody & Luke, 1990).

Phase one of the literacy plan is ‘experimental reading and writing’. This phase discusses the
idea that within the Foundation year “children develop basic concepts of print and begin to engage
in and experiment with reading and writing” (Flint et al, 2014, p. 223). Children in this phase are
still being read to, beginning to recognise letters and sounds, and are beginning to have alphabetical
awareness. Children are beginning to match spoken words with written words, and being showing
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familiarity with rhyming and beginning sounds (Hill, 2012). It is at the Foundation year that
children start to understand that text makes sense, and begin to understand that texts are meaningful.
When looking at the Four-Resource model, it becomes evident that children in this stage fall into
the code breaker category. Code breaking begins as children focus on a letter-sound relationships
and basic concepts of print. They begin to understand that text makes sense and is meaningful to
their world (Freebody & Luke, 1990). Beginner readers attempt to break the code when faced with
unfamiliar words; they begin to sound out words and they begin to study the structure of the word
(Flint et al, 2014). The Australian Curriculum (2016) emphasises the importance of code breaking
being used in context rather than being taught as an isolated skill. An integrated approach to
teaching code breaking could involve using a well known piece of literature, such as “In the Tall,
Tall, Grass” by Denise Flemming. The predictable language pattern supports early readers, whilst
maintaining a richness and authenticity in the language (Flint et al, 2014).

The second phase of the literacy plan, is ‘early reading and writing’. This phase discusses the
idea that children in Year 1 begin to read simple stories and write about topics that are meaningful
to them (Flint et al, 2014). Children in Year 1 enjoy reading and retelling stories using strategies
such as; questioning, predicting and contextualisation when breaking down comprehension (Flint et
al, 2014). When looking at the Four-Resource model, it becomes evident that children in this stage
fall into the text participant category. The Australian Curriculum (2016) makes links to the
expectations of a text participant, in Year 1 under “Examining Literature” it states that readers are
expected to “Discuss features of plot, character and setting in different types of literature and
explore some features of characters in different texts”. A classroom approach in guiding the children
to becoming text participants involves opportunities for independent reading and writing space.
This can be done through organising a corner of the classroom dedicated to quality postmodern
books, that reflect the children’s interests and culture. From reading this book, to develop writing
skills, utilise worksheets that ask for detail on the five W’s; What happened? Who was there? Why
did it happen? When did it happen? Where did it happen? This gives the children the opportunity to
become a text participant by exploring the plot, character, and setting in their chosen book (Hill,
2012).

Another quadrant within the Four-Resource model is the ‘text user’. This concept is emphasised
throughout the Australian Curriculum, stating that children begin to identify different forms of texts
and begin to understand that text can have multiple purposes (ACARA,2016).
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An important strategy to work on with children as text users, is to demonstrate and build
awareness of different text structures (Flint et al, 2014). A way to accomplish this is to ask
questions of the text in relation to other books and texts the children know; How does the story
start? What are some other books that start this way? What are some other ways the author cold
have started the text? What are some of the different sections in the book?

Phase three of the literacy plan is ‘transitional reading and writing’. This phase discusses the idea
that within Year 2 are beginning to read with greater fluency, they are effectively using strategies
such as questioning, and are able to use more complex sentences. They are able to identify a large
range of words by sight, and are using reading to research topics. Students in phase three are able to
write about a range of topics to suit different audiences with the ability to punctuate simple
sentences correctly and proofread their work (Flint et al, 2014).

The last quadrant in the Four-Resource model is ‘text analyst’. A text analyst reader can
understand how a text positions the reader, the users, the viewers and listeners (Serafini, 2012).
Through these opportunities children will begin to use reading as a tool for learning about their
world, themselves and other texts. A strategy used to assist the development of text analyst in the
classroom is getting them to critically analyse a piece of text, this could be a piece of text from a
book, magazine, newspaper, brochure or even an advertisement (Barratt-Pugh & Rohl, 2001). It is
important that in this phase each child has the same piece of text to work with. The children would
write their perception of the chosen piece of text in a paragraph. They would then have a few
minutes each to share with the class their view and connection with the text. This provides
opportunities to share and listen to different responses, allowing for collaboration in ideas and see
the diversity of responses within the class to a given text piece (Fellowes & Oakley, 2014).

When implementing literacy programs, it is crucial the teacher is aware of cultural diversity
within the classroom. It is essential that the texts that are used within classrooms are relatable to
every child and being sensitive to cultural differences and family structures, particularly during the
first stage of developing code breaking skills. If a child has English as a second language, this stage
is vitally important, and will require specific support and scaffolding of activities to ensure the child
can develop decoding skills. Allowing more opportunities and providing extra support to revisit
skills and strategies during this stage will support children who are ESL (Otto, 2015). Children who
stem from other cultural backgrounds may have had limited opportunities to hear books being read.
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This needs to be taken into consideration, as these children may need extra support to identify
things such as rhyme and repetition in a story (Fellowes & Oakley, 2014).

When teaching, there are ethical responsibilities underpinning their practice, such as the social
teaching of the Catholic Church. One of the prevalent teachings in children’s literacy is the common
good. Thus teaching suggest that every person should have access to goods and resources so they
can easily live fulfilling lives (Caritas Australia, 2017). With this in mind, it is essential that
teachers cater for every single child in their class, and to be inclusive of their diverse range of
needs.

To conclude, the Four-Resource model is the foundation of an effective literacy plan in the early
primary setting. Implementing this critical literacy theory into curriculum decision-making
processes is essential to ensuring each child’s success in reading and writing. When incorporating
strategies to create an inclusive program, not only will this produce excellence in teaching and
learning, but will assist students in developing life long literacy skills that will serve them long after
they are gone from our classrooms (Rhyner, 2009).
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Reference List

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority . Literacy - Learning continuum.

Barratt-Pugh, C., & Rohl, M. (2001). Literacy learning in the early years. Buckingham, England:
Open University Press.

Caritas Australia. (2017). Catholic social teaching. Retrieved from http://www.caritas.org.au/about/

Fellowes, J., & Oakley, G. (2014). Language, literacy and early childhood education. South
Melbourne, Vic: Oxford University Press.

Freebody, Peter & Luke, Allan (1990) Literacies programs: Debates and demands in cultural
context. Prospect: An Australian Journal of TESOL, 5(3), pp. 7-16.

Hill, S. (2012). Developing early literacy: assessment and teaching (2nd ed.). South Yarra, Vic:
Eleanor Curtain Publishing.

Otto, B. (2015). Literacy development in early childhood: reflective teaching for birth to age eight.
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall.

Rhyner, P. M. (2009). Emergent literacy and language development: promoting learning in early
childhood. New York, NY: Guilford Press.

Seely Flint, A., Kitson, L., Lowe, K., & Shaw, K. (2014). Literacy in Australia: pedagogies for
engagement. Milton, Qld: John Wiley & Sons Australia Ltd.

Serafini, F. (2012). Expanding the four resources model: reading visual and multi-modal texts.
Pedagogies: An International Journal, 7(2), 150-164. doi:10.1080/1554480x.2012.656347