Early+Years+Teaching+Practice


 * What have you learnt about approaches to teaching early years literacy through your observations of classroom activities and student organisation? **

** Through our observation of early years teaching practices, there have been a number of ways of handling approaches to early year’s literacy we have learnt about. The ones we feel are the most important to try and incorporate into a classroom setting are listed below: ** >  The importance with a modelled activity lies with the fact you are showing your students how you would like them to do something. It sets an example for students to follow for (possibly) the rest of the lessons activities. Guided reading is important as it builds confidence within the child, and also allows the teacher to assess the level that the students are at due to that close contact. Independent work allows students to demonstrate the knowledge gained through the previous teaching approaches- modelled and guided activities (Hill, 2008, p.73-75). >  Technology can be an important tool in the teaching of literacy. Most Primary classrooms these days are equipped with technology that enables teachers to teach literacy a number of ways. These include electronic whiteboard, computers, cameras and televisions. These are good as they allow the teacher to try new ways to teach approach’s to literacy. (There is more information on this in the ‘New Literacy Practice’) >  What we mean by this is that the traditional roles of modelled, guided and independent work can be changed to break up the mundane routine of literacy teaching approaches. For example one activity witnessed during classroom observation changed the role of ‘guided writing’. This activity required students to create the letter ‘a’ in uppercase and lowercase using play dough. I found this the interesting as is it changes the traditional role of not just ‘guided writing’ but writing in general into a more kinaesthetic concept. This means students who learn better through physical activity, rather than simply writing down the letters benefit as they are physically able to touch and feel the letters and their form. It also introduces the concept of the 3D form of letters and therefore reinforces not only the basic shapes that the letters consist of but can also be broadened to improving the students recognition of these letters as they have literally come in contact with them. > Following the activities done in class it is a good idea to have the students come together to summarise what they did. This allows the teacher to gauge how the students coped with the task as well as the level they are at in regard to the task without the teacher having to be there with every child every moment of the activity.
 * 1) ** Trying to incorporate a good balance of modelled, guided and independent activities. **
 * 1) ** The use of technology. **
 * 1) ** A ‘think outside the box’ approach to teaching literacy **
 * 1) ** A follow up discussion with students in regard to what they learnt **

In terms of what we observed in regard to the organisation of students during literacy programs it was mostly ‘whole-group-whole’. The students would begin their literacy discussions as a whole group in front of the teacher. They would then be instructed as to what they would be doing that lesson, break off into smaller groups, then come back together as a class to have a larger group discussion. This whole group discussion (as mentioned earlier) allows for not only the children to reflect on what they learnt, but show the teacher what they learnt. This therefore gives the teacher a (relatively) good representation of the students excelling in their literacy learning, and those who may be struggling. Go to: New Literacy Practice Go to: Home