Literacy Professional Learning Resource
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Welcome to the Literacy Professional Learning Resource
This resource is intended for teachers in the Victorian school system, to help them ensure their literacy learning strategies meet the recommendations in Literacy Teaching and Learning in Victorian Schools Paper No. 9 Part A (August 2006) (PDF - 335Kb).
The Literacy Professional Learning Resource will grow and develop over time in response to the latest research findings and feedback from practising teachers.
Our philosophy
The learner is at the centre of all decision making about learning.
The diagram at right shows that this resource has been developed with similar, interrelated structures:
- Each Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) level has a set of key concepts. In this resource, literacy learning concepts such as early language and learning, scaffolding learning, and developing literate language are explained and further developed through professional learning activities
- The pedagogies based on each VELS level are described in the teaching strategies. These strategies are linked to theories and research and explored through professional learning activities
- The assessment section provides tools, techniques and assessment practices for literacy and reviews of commonly used assessment tasks.
This resource is for all classroom teachers to deepen their understanding of literacy. This will inform their planning for literacy learning and assessment for all domains of the VELS. It will also assist literacy leaders in schools to plan opportunities for professional learning for the whole staff, in professional learning teams and/or for individual teachers.
Key messages
The philosophies that underpin this resource are:
- Students' oral language is the foundation for learning to use language and using language to learn across the stages of schooling and within all domains
- A range of theories and research are required to best support all students to improve literacy.
- Every teacher is a teacher of literacy
- A balanced and integrated approach to teaching literacy is essential
- Assessment is the foundation for supporting literacy learning through matching teaching strategies to individual student needs by placing the learner at the centre of curriculum planning.
Further information
- The Literacy Leader Professional Learning Program is designed to assist participants to deepen their knowledge and understanding about literacy and to build their capacity to create the conditions that will improve literacy learning and teaching in their school. The program is open to literacy leaders in primary and secondary schools who would like to develop their literacy leadership capabilities and plan opportunities for professional learning for whole staff, in professional learning teams and/or for individual teachers.
- The Overview of literacy learning provides links and general information on literacy learning relevant for all teachers, and particularly important for literacy leaders and leadership teams in schools
- The Leadership for literacy learning area provides strategies and ideas for implementing this resource
- Literacy Professional Learning Resource - An overview (PPT - 377Kb) – This presentation can be used to introduce the Literacy Professional Learning Resource to a whole staff, a leadership team in a school or professional learning team
- The Literacy Professional Learning Resource Table of Contents (PDF - 145Kb) identifies the key concepts, teaching strategies and assessment approaches that are included in this resource.
- Retrieval Charts for Reading Comprehension (PDF - 66Kb), Speaking and Listening (PDF - 80Kb) and Writing (PDF - 65Kb) provide an overview of, and are directly linked to, the key concepts, teaching strategies and Assessment at each VELS level for each of these dimensions.
Contact information
For further information about the resource, contact studentlearning@edumail.vic.gov.au