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Education students speak up for literacy
A new approach to teaching literacy has become a talking point among Education students at the University of the Sunshine Coast.
USC Lecturer in Education Carol Smith said literacy experts were now urging educators to place greater emphasis on developing oral communication skills in school children.
Ms Smith said enabling children to express themselves verbally, by giving them more opportunities to state their thoughts and feelings, would become a key strategy in boosting literacy levels.
“By modelling speech, especially in their early years, children not only develop an ear for language – cadence, rhythm, rhyme and intonation, which assists with spelling development – they also learn comprehension,” she said.
“In our language and literacy courses at USC, our students learn how to teach basic language skills,” she said. “We recognise that the foundation of literacy and numeracy is language … the ability to talk meaningfully.
“We often hear about the importance of oral language and the benefits of sharing the love of literacy at home, at bedtime and around the dinner table. But our children are at computer screens or watching television and, while there is a place for that in learning, it means they are not engaging in oral communication.”
Ms Smith, who has previously worked for the Board of Senior Secondary School Studies, Education Queensland and Catholic Education, said USC’s interactive approach in its Education programs would greatly benefit our future school teachers.
“In tutorials, we have students who are much more actively involved in communicating their thoughts and feelings and putting themselves in the place of students, parents and others,” she said.
“There is now a much larger oral communication component to teaching and learning than once was the case.”
Ms Smith said USC currently had about 1,000 students enrolled in various Education programs, with more expected next year when the University launches a new Bachelor of Education (Primary).
The University will hold a special information evening about this new degree from 6.30-8.30pm on Wednesday 28 October.
To attend this event, contact USC’s External Relations on 5456 5000 or register online at <www.usc.edu.au/info>.
— Terry Walsh