Unit information: Language and Literacy in 2012/13

Unit name	Language and Literacy
Unit code	SPOL30015
Credit points	20
Level of study	H/6
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director	Dr. Lucas
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	School for Policy Studies
Faculty	Faculty of Social Sciences and Law

Description including Unit Aims

The unit provides students with an overview of current understanding about the language development of young children. Researchers have recently made advances in the understanding of how language comes to be mastered by children. As language use is at the centre of schooling and social life, there are important implications for all those working with young children. The unit covers the achievement of all forms of competent language use in early childhood.

This unit aims to help students to:

• Review the current literature on the development of children’s cognition, language and literacy

• Examine the implications of this research for ways of supporting and remediating young children’s language and literacy.

Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of the studying this unit, students should be equipped to:

• Establish a critical understanding of relevant research;

• Carry out their own research in this area

• Develop skills of systematic observation;

• Develop report writing and essay writing skills; and

• Evaluate educational approaches to early literacy

Teaching Information

Lectures, fieldwork and seminars.

Assessment Information

Coursework report of 2000 words as formative assessment.

3,000 word essay as summative assessment.

Reading and References

• Whitehead M (2004) Language & Literacy in the Early Years (3rd Edn) London: Sage

• David, Goouch, Powell Abbott, Abbott, Langston, Ackers, Baron, Bradbury, Holmes, Johnson (2003) Birth to Three Matters:A Review of the Literature. Compiled to inform The Framework to Support Children in their Earliest Years. London: DfES http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/eyfs/resources/downloads/rr444.pdf

• Goswami, U., and Bryant, P. (1990) Phonological skills and learning to read. Hove: Erlbaum

• Pinker (1994) The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language. London: Penguin Press