Accelerated Literacy Information
Scenario
“The principal welcomed everyone back and introduced Amy to the staff, and then reminded the teaching staff to share resources and work collaboratively especially in regards to Accelerated Literacy. The principal was proud that through this whole school approach to teaching literacy there had been tremendous gains in students reading levels, especially in the K-2 children.”
National Accelerated Literacy Program
The following information aims to provide beginning teachers, like Amy, with an overview of the National Accelerated Literacy Program (NALP), provide them with an understanding of each part of the program and demonstrate how the NALP is beneficial to students’ literacy development.
The NALP was “designed to accelerate the literacy levels of marginalised students” (Commonwealth of Australia, 2012). The program was funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR); the Northern Territory Department of Education and Training and was also supported by Charles Darwin University. However, this funding has now concluded but the NALP resources have been republished by the DEEWR in order to encourage Australia Schools to implement the NALP within their classrooms (Commonwealth of Australia, 2012).
The National Accelerated Literacy Program requires teachers to implement a teaching sequence that involves using a variety of literacy strategies in one daily 60 – 90 minute lesson. The routines of the Accelerated Literacy Program allows for support and predictability, even for students with low attendance. The diagram below illustrates the strategies used within the Accelerated Literacy teaching sequence (Cowey, 2007).
The NALP was “designed to accelerate the literacy levels of marginalised students” (Commonwealth of Australia, 2012). The program was funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR); the Northern Territory Department of Education and Training and was also supported by Charles Darwin University. However, this funding has now concluded but the NALP resources have been republished by the DEEWR in order to encourage Australia Schools to implement the NALP within their classrooms (Commonwealth of Australia, 2012).
The National Accelerated Literacy Program requires teachers to implement a teaching sequence that involves using a variety of literacy strategies in one daily 60 – 90 minute lesson. The routines of the Accelerated Literacy Program allows for support and predictability, even for students with low attendance. The diagram below illustrates the strategies used within the Accelerated Literacy teaching sequence (Cowey, 2007).
(Cowey, 2007).
There are four teaching strategies that are implemented within an Accelerated Literacy lesson. They include Literate Orientation, Transformations, Spelling and Writing. These strategies are usually, but not always, implemented in the sequence indicated in the diagram and they are intended to be used as the tools to equip every student with the knowledge, understandings and skills to be a fully participating member of a literate society. When implementing an Accelerated Literacy lesson, teachers should have clear objectives for individual students and for the whole class. For a detailed explanation of the four Accelerated Literacy teaching strategies and how to choose appropriate texts to use when implementing Accelerated Literacy see http://www.nalp.edu.au/what-is-accelerated-literacy/methodology/literate-orientation.html (Cowey, 2007).
NALP Assessments
Ongoing assessment is a critical aspect of the NALP. Teachers are required to assess students’ literacy levels at the beginning of the program and then at regular intervals throughout, to ensure all stakeholders including teachers, students and parents are provided with clear evidence of individual students’ literacy skills over time. These ongoing assessments also highlight any areas that may need attention (Commonwealth of Australia, 2012).
School level assessments that are a part of the National Accelerated Literacy Program includes oral reading assessment (Observational Reading Records) and reading comprehension assessment. Two types of oral reading assessment exist. They include IL or Individual Level and WL or Working Level. Individual Level is used to assess students reading from texts which have not been taught by a teacher. They are ‘unseen’ or ‘unfamiliar’ texts. The texts used have been given a ‘benchmark’ level that matches them with a school year level. When a student reads one of these texts, teachers are required to assess their ability to transfer decoding strategies to this ‘unfamiliar’ text without prompting the child with meaning support given by literate orientation. Working Level is used to assess students work on texts that have been taught in class. These are ‘familiar’, ‘seen’ or ‘taught’ texts. Students will be assessed on their ability to read these texts only after they have been taught about language choices during literate orientation. Teachers are required to assess students’ levels of accuracy when reading these ‘familiar’ texts (Commonwealth of Australia, 2012).
For more information about the National Accelerated Literacy Program see http://www.nalp.edu.au/
There are four teaching strategies that are implemented within an Accelerated Literacy lesson. They include Literate Orientation, Transformations, Spelling and Writing. These strategies are usually, but not always, implemented in the sequence indicated in the diagram and they are intended to be used as the tools to equip every student with the knowledge, understandings and skills to be a fully participating member of a literate society. When implementing an Accelerated Literacy lesson, teachers should have clear objectives for individual students and for the whole class. For a detailed explanation of the four Accelerated Literacy teaching strategies and how to choose appropriate texts to use when implementing Accelerated Literacy see http://www.nalp.edu.au/what-is-accelerated-literacy/methodology/literate-orientation.html (Cowey, 2007).
NALP Assessments
Ongoing assessment is a critical aspect of the NALP. Teachers are required to assess students’ literacy levels at the beginning of the program and then at regular intervals throughout, to ensure all stakeholders including teachers, students and parents are provided with clear evidence of individual students’ literacy skills over time. These ongoing assessments also highlight any areas that may need attention (Commonwealth of Australia, 2012).
School level assessments that are a part of the National Accelerated Literacy Program includes oral reading assessment (Observational Reading Records) and reading comprehension assessment. Two types of oral reading assessment exist. They include IL or Individual Level and WL or Working Level. Individual Level is used to assess students reading from texts which have not been taught by a teacher. They are ‘unseen’ or ‘unfamiliar’ texts. The texts used have been given a ‘benchmark’ level that matches them with a school year level. When a student reads one of these texts, teachers are required to assess their ability to transfer decoding strategies to this ‘unfamiliar’ text without prompting the child with meaning support given by literate orientation. Working Level is used to assess students work on texts that have been taught in class. These are ‘familiar’, ‘seen’ or ‘taught’ texts. Students will be assessed on their ability to read these texts only after they have been taught about language choices during literate orientation. Teachers are required to assess students’ levels of accuracy when reading these ‘familiar’ texts (Commonwealth of Australia, 2012).
For more information about the National Accelerated Literacy Program see http://www.nalp.edu.au/
How does this relate to the National Professional Standards for Teachers?
Standard 2: Know the content and how to teach it
Focus: Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area
Graduate: 2.1.1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts, substance and structure of the content and teaching strategies of the teaching area.
Focus: Curriculum, assessment and reporting
Graduate: 2.3.1 Use curriculum, assessment and reporting knowledge to design learning sequences and lesson plans.
Focus: Literacy and numeracy Strategies
Graduate: 2.5.1 Know and understand literacy and numeracy teaching strategies and their application in teaching areas.
Focus: Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area
Graduate: 2.1.1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts, substance and structure of the content and teaching strategies of the teaching area.
Focus: Curriculum, assessment and reporting
Graduate: 2.3.1 Use curriculum, assessment and reporting knowledge to design learning sequences and lesson plans.
Focus: Literacy and numeracy Strategies
Graduate: 2.5.1 Know and understand literacy and numeracy teaching strategies and their application in teaching areas.