NSW Department of Education and Communities

Supporting literacy and numeracy in the

early years of schooling
-Summary of Learning

A community volunteers course

Acknowledgement of country

We acknowledge the traditional Custodians of this Land, where the

Aboriginal People have performed age-old ceremonies of storytelling,

music, dance and celebration.
We acknowledge and pay respect to the Elders past and present, and
we acknowledge those of the future, for they will hold the memories,
traditions and hopes of Aboriginal Australians.
We must always remember that under the concrete and asphalt this
Land is, was and always will be traditional Aboriginal Land.

Learning - Session #1
Big ideas
Parents generally know what to do to help because
they observe and provide support when needed:
Teachers do the same thing.
Children achieve each stage of development at different

times.
Talk is an indispensable tool for learning.

Learning - Session #1
We learn when:
We recognise a reason to learn.
We are actively involved.
We are supported by models or demonstrations by others.

We have the tools and resources we need.

We have opportunities for repetition and reinforcement.
We have time for practice.

Our efforts are recognised.

Talking & Listening Session #1

Ways children learn to talk

Children are surrounded by talk.

Children are talked to, and with, a great deal.

Children and parents expect that they will learn.

Children decide what they want to say and when.

Children are given lots of opportunities to practise talking.

Children are given positive feedback from having a go.

Children want to learn and take an active part.

Talking & Listening Session #1

Encourage talk through

Questions

Prompts
Wait time

Rephrasing

Talking & Listening Session #1

For successful listening we need to

Feel the need to listen.
Prevent interruptions when others are listening.
Focus our attention.
Try to eliminate distractions.
Engage with others in speaking and listening.

Talking & Listening Session #1

Children need opportunities

To talk spontaneously
Work alongside others

Make informed comments

Ask questions of speakers
Reflect and adjust their speaking to suit the audience
Be sensitive listeners - when to wait, to respond, interrupt
Respond in more structured situations
Develop competence and confidence in talking with others
Adjust their speaking and listening to suit the purpose, situation
and audience.

Talking & Listening Session #1

**** Reflection ****

Reading Session #2

Reading is a message-getting, problem-solving

activity which increases in power and flexibility the
more it is practiced.

Reading Session #2

Some prior knowledge is vital if readers are to understand

what the text is about.

Reading Session #2
Reading is more than just recognising and saying words
Successful readers use a range of information to
make sense of what they read.
What to listen for when children are reading and
talking about books
-words and sounds
-re-reading
-self correcting
-making connections
-talking about big ideas
-questioning

Reading Session #2

Pause, Prompt and Praise

Reading Session #2

***Reflection***

Writing Session #3
A writer

Plans for writing

Composes
Records
Revises
Publishes

Writing Session #3

A writer needs:

A reason to write.
An audience.

Knowledge of a variety of writing forms to use.

To know when correct spelling and presentation are
important.

Writing Session #3

Writing provides the purpose for spelling so children should

be learning words they need to learn for their writing.

Writing Session #3

***Reflection***

Numeracy Session #4

Counting can mean different things:

producing a sequence of words
answering questions of quantity
such as, How many?

Numeracy Session #4

Counting how many

Students
commit to memory a sequence of
number words
discern a pattern in the sequence of
number names which enables them to
continue counting
coordinate their counting by matching
one and only one number word to each
item

Numeracy Session #4

Counting how many

Students need to
know when to stop when selecting a
given number of objects
recognise that the last number word
said when counting objects
corresponds to the total.

Numeracy Session #4

Counting how many

Perceptual Counting
Figurative Counting
Counting On
Facile Counting

Numeracy Session #4

Teens
Children from different countries learn
1 to 10 similarly; however, those
learning English learn the teens more
slowly and with more errors.
Smart errors
Twenty-nine
Twenty-ten
Twenty-eleven
Twenty-twelve

Numeracy Session #4

Ten in theTeens
Who can show me how to make 17?

Lets count to make sure we have 17.

What comes after 10?
11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17.

If we start with 10, who can tell me, how can we make
14?
Lets check. What comes after 10?

11, 12, 13, 14.

Numeracy Session #4

***Reflection***