EDLA369 Assessment Task 2

Planning for the Teaching of a Reading Comprehension Strategy

EDLA369 Assessment Task 2

Planning for Literacy Learning - Reading Comprehension

PART A: RATIONALE
The teaching and learning of students English capabilities in Australian school system is central
to the overarching goal of the development of active and informed citizens of the world who can
lead Australia in the future (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority,
ACARA, 2011; Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority [VCAA], 2016a). Fielding &
Pearson state that reading comprehension is a complex process involving knowledge,
experience, thinking and teaching (1994, p. 62), consequently areas of struggle within reading
comprehension are targetedly addressed in these plans.

It is suggested by many experts that the teaching of literacy and language can be fluidly
integrated through various areas of the curriculum (Healy, 2008; Hertzberg, 2012; Riddle, 2009)
and current curriculum documents refer to this practice as appropriate and neccessary (VCAA,
2016c). Consequently, the attached lessons are integrated into a Grade 4 History unit, where
students are learning reading comprehension within the context of learning about first contact
with non-Indigenous or Torres Strait Islander people in Australia (VCAA, 2016d). The texts used
are the fictional picture book by Rose Giannone (2016), Whats your story?, and a non-fiction
digital text, Getting to know the locals (ABC Local Radio - Far North, 2011), which incorporate
focused concent specific to the Grade 4 History content areas within the Victorian curriculum
(VCAA, 2016d). The ABC Splash resource page for Getting to know the locals (ABC Local
Radio - Far North, 2011), which is a digital read aloud of a journal entry by Lieutenant James
Cook's on the Endeavour, is designed in line with the curriculum specifically for use within the
classroom and includes a transcript for reference.

These lessons are designed to match the developmental needs of particular students that are
established through collected assessment data of class 3/4N (see Appendix A), which is related
back to descriptions of Progression of Reading Development (Care, Griffin, Robertson, 2011)
(see Appendix B). Wing Jan (2009) argues that addressing the specific needs of individual
students through purposeful teaching based on assessment is integral. Additionally, Hammond
(2001) premises that sensitivity to and the ability to the areas of needs and ability in students
 EDLA369 Assessment Task 2
Planning for the Teaching of a Reading Comprehension Strategy

within the daily teaching curriculum is indicative of good teaching practice. Assessment data
should be interpreted for use to intervene and explicitly teach discrete knowledge and skills in
small groups, where these can be demonstrated and scaffolded by the teacher (Mercer, 1994;
VCAA, 2016c). 4 students were identified as only capable of gaining phrase-level meaning
through reading and one student at the lower end of gaining sentence-level meaning, which is
below that of their peers and indicates a need for focused learning, on the skills of literal
comprehension, retelling, sequencing and referring to text for justification (Care, Griffin,
Robertson, 2011).

Sequencing is the area of focus for the small group during Lesson 1 with the use of Giannones
narrative (2016), which includes the vital features of a series of events and features of
orientation (who, where, when) that students should include during a retell (Emmitt, Komesaroff
Pollock & Zbaracki, 2010). The ability to sequence events within a story is seen by Riddle
(2009) as necessary for the ability to make sense when reading. Consequently, students within
the focus group will gain specific facilitation and modelling to develop this reading skill to
comprehend the book that other students within the class will adapt to tell from the perspective
of a character. Students are asked to actively reorder key parts of the text into a logical order
(Wing Jan, 2009) and will be given chances to evaluate and consider their decisions through a
reread of the text (Riddle, 2009). Collerson (1997) suggest that students are given prompts such
as these to guide them to make sense of the content within a text. These activities, as well as
others within the two lessons, are done within pairs to allow for more opportunities for learning
through dialogue and the affective elements of peer support (Hertzberg, 2012). The whole class
aspects of the lesson are used to focus on the 5 Ws and H (who, what, when, where, why &
how) as a scaffolding tool to guide students in their listening, reading and writing which will aid
students in the writing of a recount and in sequencing events (Wing Jan, 2009).

The second lesson is utilised to focus on using a text to support answers and understandings
about a text. This lesson similarly uses the same text for both the whole class task and focus
group but on differing levels, with more or less support and altered focus. The literacy focus is
imbedded in a History elaboration about stories of first contact experiences to allow for
meaningful integration within a History and English unit. The T chart is used to help students
clarify their thoughts and reasons for a particular point of view in response to the question (Wing
Jan, 2009). The use of post-it notes is to allow students to physically position their arguments at
the time/part of the text that they got that thought from or that backs up their argument. These
 EDLA369 Assessment Task 2
Planning for the Teaching of a Reading Comprehension Strategy

notes can then be moved to their literacy books to show the progression of learning from
thought, reasoning, supporting and publishing (NSW Government - Education & Communities,
2013).

The reading comprehension strategies emphasised in these lessons and within research such
as the CEOM LAP Report (Care, Griffin & Robertson, 2011) are important within the literacy
curriculum, however, it should be remembered that they are a means to an end (Harvey &
Gouduis, 2007, p. 14) rather than an overarching goal in teaching and learning. These
strategies are utilised to give students the capacity to construct meaning and thereby use texts
purposefully and for enjoyment (Harvey & Gouduis, 2007).

WORD COUNT: 795

 EDLA369 Assessment Task 2
Planning for the Teaching of a Reading Comprehension Strategy

References:
ABC Local Radio - Far North (2011). Getting to know the locals [Audio recording]. ABC Splash.
Retrieved from http://splash.abc.net.au/home#!/media/1454404/getting-to-know-the-locals

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (2011). Why NAP? Retrieved from
http://www.nap.edu.au/about/why-nap

Emmitt, M., Komesaroff, L., Pollock, J., & Zbaracki, M. (2010). Language & learning: an introduction
for teaching (5th ed.). South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press.

Fielding, L., & Pearson, P. D. (1994). Reading comprehension: What works. Educational Leadership,
51(5), 6267.

Gianonne, R. (2016). Whats your story?. Kew, VIC: Berbay Publishing Ltd Pty.

Hertzberg, M. (2012). Teaching English language learners in mainstream classics. Newtown, NSW:
Primary English Teaching Association Australia.

Harvey, S & Gouduis, A. (2007). Strategies that work: Teaching comprehension for understanding and
engagement (2nd ed.). Maine: Stenhouse Publishers.

Healy, A. (Ed.) (2008). Multiliteracies and diversity in education: New pedagogies for expanding
landscapes. South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press.

Mercer, N. (1994). Neo-Vygotskian theory and classroom education. In B. Steirer & J. Maybin (Eds.),
Language, literacy and learning in educational practice. Clevedon, Avon: Multilingual Matters.

NSW Government Education & Communities (2013). NAPLAN teaching strategies 2013: Literacy
overview. Retrieved from http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/learning/7-
12assessments/naplan/teachstrategies/yr2013/index.php?id=literacy/reading/lr_dilo/lr_dilo_o

Riddle, J. (2009). Engaging the eye generation: Visual literacy strategies for the K-5 classroom.
Stenhouse Publishers.

Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (2016a). English: Rationale and aims. Retrieved from
http://victoriancurriculum.vcaa.vic.edu.au/english/introduction/rationale-and-aims

Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (2016b). English: Structure. Retrieved from
http://victoriancurriculum.vcaa.vic.edu.au/english/introduction/structure

Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (2016c). Curriculum design: Learning areas and
capabilities. Retrieved from http://victoriancurriculum.vcaa.vic.edu.au/overview/curriculum-
design/learning-areas-and-capabilities

Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (2016d). History. Retrieved from

http://victoriancurriculum.vcaa.vic.edu.au/the-humanities/history/curriculum/f-10#level=3-4

Wing Jan, L (2009). Write ways: modelling writing forms (3rd ed.). South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford
University Press.
 EDLA369 Assessment Task 2
Planning for the Teaching of a Reading Comprehension Strategy
 EDLA369 Assessment Task 2
Planning for the Teaching of a Reading Comprehension Strategy
 EDLA369 Assessment Task 2
Planning for the Teaching of a Reading Comprehension Strategy
 EDLA369 Assessment Task 2
Planning for the Teaching of a Reading Comprehension Strategy