MPRE101
Literacy and Language Development

ECTS Value: 7 ECTS

Contact Hours: 35

Self Study Hours: 84

Assessment Hours: 66

 

Overall Objectives and Outcomes

This module is designed to equip educators with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively teach literacy and oracy in Maltese and English in the primary classroom. It integrates language awareness, the pedagogy of teaching the four skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening), literacy interventions and literary appreciation for children, inclusivity and resource production. It emphasises a balanced approach that supports diverse learners, including those struggling with literacy development and equip students to be bilingual and global citizens. Additionally, it focuses on lesson planning, scheme of work development and embedding literacy across the curriculum.

By the end of this module, the learner will be able to:

Competences

  • a)Lead the implementation of different literacy approaches, such as the Balanced reading and science of reading approaches;
  • b)Integrate strategically targeted literacy and oracy interventions for struggling students;
  • c)Design and manage inclusive classroom strategies that transform learning experiences for diverse students, including second-language learners and those requiring remedial support;
  • d)Develop and curate innovative, authentic literacy and oracy resources that align with curricular goals and learner diversity;
  • e)Coordinate and deliver lessons that synthesise the four literacy skills into cohesive instructional sequences;
  • f)Facilitate and mentor literacy and oracy development through explicit teaching of phonological awareness, phonics, word recognition and comprehension.

Knowledge

  • a)Critically evaluate the core concepts of phonological awareness, phonics, spelling, reading fluency, handwriting and comprehension strategies;
  • b)Interpret the four literacy skills within the framework of national literacy policies and the Core Competences Checklists;
  • c)Contextualise literacy and oracy across subjects to support holistic and integrated learning.

Skills

  • a)Adapt evidence-based intervention strategies in response to students’ literacy and oracy development, innovating targeted interventions that enhance learning outcomes;
  • b)Construct a coherent and research-informed scheme of work that integrates thematic, cross-curricular, and literacy-based approaches;
  • c)Design and validate structured lesson plans that align systematically learning outcomes, activities for learning and activities for assessment;
  • d)Develop and refine multi-sensory teaching strategies to enhance language acquisition;
  • e)Assess and interpret student literacy and oracy levels and select appropriate teaching interventions;
  • f)Modify and innovate instructional methods based on assessment data and student needs;
  • g)Conduct and synthesis advance research to critically examine key theories, evidence-based practices and applications of language and literacy pedagogy.

Assessment Methods

This module will be assessed through: Lesson Plan and Scheme of Work and Assignment Task.

Suggested Readings

Core Reading List

  1. Baker, C. (2017). Foundations of bilingual education and bilingualism (6th ed.). Multilingual Matters.
  2. Demir, S., & Erdogan, A. (2017). The role of teaching grammar in first language education. European Journal of Educational Research, 7(1), 67–101.
  3. Department for Education and Skills (DfES). (2008). Letters and sounds: Principles of high-quality phonics. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/190599/Letters_and_Sounds_-_DFES-00281-2007.pdf
  4. Ehri, L. C. (2022). What teachers need to know and do to teach letter–sounds, phonemic awareness, word reading, and phonics. The Reading Teacher, 76(1), 53–61.
  5. Gatt, P. (2015). The use of ICT in the teaching of Maltese and teachers’ concerns. Malta Review of Educational Research, 9(1), 99–114.
  6. Ministry for Education and Employment. (2021). A national literacy strategy for all in Malta and Gozo 2021–2030. https://sustainabledevelopment.gov.mt/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/A-National-Literacy-Strategy-for-All-in-Malta-and-Gozo-2021-2030.pdf
  7. Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation. (2023). A language policy for the junior years in Malta and Gozo. https://nla.gov.mt/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/A-Language-Policy-for-the-Junior-Years.pdf
  8. National Literacy Agency. (n.d.). Schools learning outcomes.http://www.schoolslearningoutcomes.edu.mt/en/
  9. (2023). Teaching reading in the 21st century: Evidence from PISA 2022. OECD Publishing.
  10. Panzavecchia, M. (2023). “Issa open your books għax ser nibdew il-lesson tal-English…”: The impact of Maltese primary school teachers’ language backgrounds on linguistic identities, language use, and pedagogical practices. Malta Journal of Education, 4(2), 117–143.
  11. Varun, A. (2014). Thematic approach for effective communication in ECCE. International Journal of Education and Psychological Research, 3(3), 20–25.

Supplementary Reading List 

  1. Bear, D. R., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S., & Johnston, F. (2020). Words their way: Word study for phonics, vocabulary, and spelling instruction (7th ed.). Pearson
  2. Florian, L., & Beaton, M. (2018). Inclusive pedagogy in action: Getting it right for every child. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 22(8), 870–884.
  3. McDonald, R., & Gibson, P. (Eds.). (2021). Inspiring primary learners: Insights and inspiration across the curriculum (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429024597
  4. Panzavecchia, M. (2024, November). Unveiling post-colonial perspectives: Primary educators’ insights on teaching English in multilingual Malta. In Conference Proceedings: Innovation in Language Learning 2024, Italy.
  5. Tompkins, G. E., & Rodgers, E. M. (2019). Literacy for the 21st century: A balanced approach (8th ed.). Pearson.
  6. Vasquez, V. M., Janks, H., & Comber, B. (2019). Critical literacy across the K–6 curriculum. Routledge.
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