EDUC2421 Literacy and Numeracy: Birth-4

This topic enables students to examine the ways that infants and young children contribute to their social worlds as active participants in the interactions, language, ways of thinking, playing, and solving problems that form the basis of early literacy and numeracy competence. Through the inquiry processes used in this topic, student teachers explore the interrelationship between perceptual, sensory and language communicative capabilities of infants, toddlers and young children and examine the changes that occur as infants interact with others and develop complex communication skills. Students study the beginnings of abstract and symbolic thought in young children's play. The topic considers how families and educators and communities can identify and extend children's learning and development of key literacy & numeracy concepts. The topic draws from a multi-disciplinary knowledge base that includes child development, sociology and curriculum theory and research to consider how young children's acquisition of literacy and numeracy skills can be enhanced in early childhood professional practice.

This topic aims to:

• Provide students with opportunities to broaden and deepen their knowledge and understanding of the ways infants, toddlers and young children engage with their worlds through play, moving and doing
• Help students to acquire questions, concepts, perspectives and strategies which will assist them in understanding and enhancing the literacy and numeracy learning of infants, toddlers and young children
• Support students to reflect upon contemporary discourse and research in order to consider their particular approach to providing literacy and numeracy learning opportunities in the early years

1. Explain how early literacy and numeracy concepts are socially situated
2. Describe the influence of perceptual-sensorial, memory, representational-symbolic and communicative-linguistic thinking on young children's literary and numerical learning & development
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the educator's role in observing and planning for young children's literacy and numeracy learning and development
4. Outline how family members, peers and other significant members in children's lives contribute to young children's awareness and immersion in key literacy & numeracy concepts