LITERACY TEACHING GUIDES
LITERACY TEACHING GUIDES
Literacy is a high priority in the Office of Schools Plan 2009–2011. A comprehensive range of new teacher support for the explicit teaching of literacy is currently under development to achieve the targets under this priority.
 View video | On Wednesday 8 July, three exciting new literacy teaching guides for teachers were officially launched by the NSW Minister for Education and Training, The Hon. Verity Firth, MP in a Kindergarten class at Miranda Public School. |
These three literacy teaching guides are:
 |  |  |  |
| An introduction to quality literacy teaching | Literacy teaching guide: Phonics | Literacy teaching guide: Phonemic awareness | |
| Updates: | Revised Nov 2009 | Revised Nov 2009 | Revised Nov 2009 |
Order form for Literacy teaching guides.
These guides support teachers in classrooms to ensure quality literacy teaching for NSW public school students. They provide teachers with an opportunity to reflect on, refine and sharpen their literacy teaching practice.
| View video | They are the first in what will be a series of new guides that put the spotlight on different aspects of literacy critical to students’ overall literacy development. |
An introduction to quality literacy teaching provides advice on what can be considered the cornerstones of quality literacy teaching in NSW public schools, that is, literacy teaching that is explicit, systematic, balanced and integrated.
This introductory guide:
- articulates the importance of literacy in contemporary contexts, including how literacy demands change across the years of schooling and the ever-broadening view of 21st century literacies
- has a strong focus on literacy teaching, reinforcing that it is quality literacy teaching that will make the difference, that is, literacy teaching which is explicit, systematic, balanced and integrated
- provides teachers with a practical, accessible process for explicit and systematic literacy teaching
- supports teachers to direct/regulate and adjust their teaching to meet the needs of individuals/groups through modelled, guided and independent teaching strategies
- addresses important considerations/connections in relation to literacy teaching, including NAPLAN, technology, Literacy Continuum, further literacy resources.
The other two guides, Literacy teaching guide: Phonics and Literacy teaching guide: Phonemic awareness, provide teachers with clear, straightforward information about the teaching and learning of phonics and phonemic awareness and include:
- confirmation that each is an essential component of a balanced and integrated teaching program.
- a process for the explicit teaching of phonics and phonemic awareness.
- a set of principles for phonics and phonemic awareness to guide teaching.
- a recommended progression for each aspect, based on the most current research, for the teaching of knowledge and skills
- suggested teaching strategies and learning activities for phonics and phonemic awareness
 |  |  |  |
| View video | View video | View video | View video |
These resources build on the NSW Department of Education and Training’s Literacy K–12 Policy (2007).
Suggestions for Semester 2 School Development Day sessions: For schools wishing to introduce these guides at an upcoming School Development Day, the examples of professional learning processes/questions will assist teachers to begin exploring some of the key concepts that can be found within the guides.
Future professional learning: The implementation support will take the form of a series of videos that highlight key sections of the guides. The videos will feature expert commentary and in-class footage of students and teachers putting aspects of literacy teaching into ‘action’ in the classroom. As well, there will be ‘before, during and after’ professional learning strategies to focus engagement with the videos and the teaching guides.
Folder insert and spine for Quality literacy teaching materials, such as An introduction to quality literacy teaching; Literacy teaching guide: Phonemic awareness, etc.
A continuum of the critical aspects of early literacy development
A continuum of the critical aspects of early literacy development defines and maps the eight identified critical aspects of early literacy development. The continuum describes how these eight critical aspects develop over the first few years of school by highlighting significant markers of progress that might be evidenced over time.
© State of New South Wales through the Department of Education and Training, 1999 - 2009. All rights reserved.
Conditions of use | Help | Contact us
Report incorrect, out-of-date or missing information