LAN1260 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Australian Curriculum
6 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
WEEK$8$
LAN1260$-$Spoken$Language$in$Primary$Schools$
!
We!are!learning!to!understand!that!children’s!literature!can!support!students’!
understandings!about!themselves!and!the!world;!that!educators!have!a!responsibility!to!
select!quality!and!inclusive!literature!to!promote!talking!and!thinking!through!literature.!!
We!are!learning!to!evaluate!and!develop!a!sound!set!of!criteria!for!selection!of!quality,!
inclusive!children’s!literature!and!use!quality!and!inclusive!literature!to!promote!students’!
spoken!language!development.!!
!
Australian$Curriculum!
The!term!literature!refers!to!the!text!across!a!range!of!cultural!contexts!and!past!and!
present!works!that!are!valued!for!their!form!and!style!and!are!recognised!as!having!
enduring!or!artistic!value.!While!the!nature!of!literary!texts!is!dynamic!and!evolving,!they!
are!recognised!as!having!personal,!social,!cultural!and!aesthetic!value!and!potential!for!
enriching!students’!lives!and!scope!of!experience.!Studying!literature!helps!shape!personal,!
cultural,!and!national!identities.!Studying!past!and!present!literature!reveals!the!imaginative!
potential!of!language.!Engaging!with!literary!texts!is!worthwhile!in!its!own!right,!but,!
importantly,!it!is!also!valuable!in!developing!the!imaginative!application!of!ideas,!flexibility!
of!thought,!ethical!and!critical!reflection!and!motivation!to!learn.!The!literature!strand!is!
fundamentally!about!students’!engagement!with!and!study!of!literary!texts!of!personal!
cultural!social!and!aesthetic!value.!A!significant!feature!of!this!strand!is!the!attention!it!pays!
to!texts!that!are!judged!to!have!potential!for!enriching!students’!lives!and!expanding!the!
scope!of!their!experience.!!
!
“all!children!have!the!right!to!an!education!that!lays!a!foundation!for!the!rest!of!their!lives,!
maximises!their!ability,!and!respects!their!family,!cultural!and!other!identities!and!
languages”!
!
What$can$quality,$inclusive,$literature$do?$!
• promote!a!more!positive!sense!of!self!
• help!children!learn!about!the!world!
• help!children!cope!with!stress!
• provide!insight!into!problems!
• affirm!thoughts!and!feelings!
• stimulate!discussion!about!problems!
• create!an!awareness!that!others!have!similar!problems!!
• provide!solutions!to!problems!
• communicate!new!values!and!attitudes!help!children!find!meaning!in!life!
!
How$do$we$select$quality$literature?$!
develop!overt,!sound!criteria!by!considering!the:!
• narrative!(nature!and!telling!of!the!story)!
• plot!and!setting!
• characters!in!the!narrative!
• theme!of!the!narrative!
• language!used!in!the!text!
• quality!and!relevance!of!the!illustrations!
Document Summary
We are learning to understand that children"s literature can support students" understandings about themselves and the world; that educators have a responsibility to select quality and inclusive literature to promote talking and thinking through literature. We are learning to evaluate and develop a sound set of criteria for selection of quality, inclusive children"s literature and use quality and inclusive literature to promote students" spoken language development. The term literature refers to the text across a range of cultural contexts and past and present works that are valued for their form and style and are recognised as having enduring or artistic value. While the nature of literary texts is dynamic and evolving, they are recognised as having personal, social, cultural and aesthetic value and potential for enriching students" lives and scope of experience. Studying literature helps shape personal, cultural, and national identities. Studying past and present literature reveals the imaginative potential of language.
