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EDEE112 English Pedagogy in the
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Primary Curriculum.
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Assignment 1 – Essay
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Completed by Julie Papps
Student Number: 220076557
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2. Topic: What does it mean to be literate in the 21st century? How does this
influence what students and their teachers do in the primary school literacy
classroom?
This paper will focus on what literacy means in the 21st century and discuss how literacy has changed
over time, from the traditional teacher centred approach to the more recent student centred
approaches to literacy. Further, this paper will discuss what students need to achieve to be successful
learners of language and literacy via the ‘four resources model’. Finally, the role of oral language and
effective strategies teachers use to meet the learning needs of students from diverse backgrounds will
be established.
To be literate in the 21st century students not only need to know how to read and write, they need to be
able to combine speaking, listening and critical thinking skills with reading and writing, and incorporate
audiovisual and multimodal forms of communication (The Australian Language & Literacy Policy (1991),
as cited in Winch et al, 2010, p. xli). There are many views on literacy, from traditional teacher centred
behaviourism views, to more modern student centred views such as constructivism, sociolinguists,
cognitive / information processing and balanced views of literacy.
Traditionally, literacy is often affiliated with discipline and respect for authority and focuses on the
reading, writing and arithmetic aspects of literacy (Luke, 1993, p.1). This theory is based on the teacher-
centred theory of behaviourism. Tompkins, Campbell & Green (2012) reveal that this theory centres on
the observable and measurable aspects of student behaviour. Students learn to read by gaining a series
of skills that are taught in a deliberate, sequential order. The teacher acts as a distributor of knowledge,
presenting pieces of knowledge in small steps which are reinforced until mastered. Rewards and
punishments are utilised to control and motivate students as they work independently reading basal
readers and completing fill in the blanks worksheets.
Recently, classrooms have become establishments where learning is more student centred and children
are more responsible for their own learning than ever before (Tompkins, Campbell & Green, 2012, p. 1).
From a constructivist point of view students are active learners who construct their own knowledge
through integrating new knowledge with existing knowledge. Dewey illustrates that through the inquiry
process, students work together to seek information, ask questions and create new knowledge to solve
problems, and then reflect on this learning (Dewey, n.d., as cited in Tompkins, Campbell & Green, 2012,
p. 8). The teachers’ role is to engage students with experiences so they can construct this new
knowledge.

3. From a Sociolinguistics approach, students discuss books they are reading and share writing while
working together in small groups. This view recognises the importance of language and social contact
when learning. Vygotsky (1978;1986) believed that language helps to organise thought and students use
language to learn, communicate and share experiences with other students (Vygotsky, 1978;1986., as
cited in Tompkins, Campbell & Green, 2012, p.8). When using this approach, teachers ‘scaffold’
students’ learning by setting tasks that fall within a child’s zone of proximal development. Teachers then
work together with students and gradually withdraw support as the student starts to perform the task
independently. The teacher serves as an expert model, sharing examples of work and discussing the
choices of language and structure with the students. The class then jointly constructs a piece of work,
with students providing ideas and the teacher acting as scribe. Finally the students would create a piece
of work themselves.
Cognitive / information processing is another student centred approach to literacy where theorists
believe the mind functions like a computer. Flavell (1979) illustrates that information moves through a
series of processing units – sensory register, short term memory and long term memory as it is
processed and stored (Flavell, 1979, as cited in Tompkins, Campbell & Green, 2012, p10). Theorists
describe the reading and writing process as a meaning-making process. Students concentrate on
comprehension as they read and construct meaning by using a combination of information from the text
and information from the student’s background knowledge. Interpretation of texts is always individual
as students bring different background knowledge and experience to the classroom. When writing
students plan, draft, revise and edit their writing to ensure readers understand what they have written.
Students share their writing with teachers and fellow students to get feedback on how well they are
communicating (Tompkins, Campbell & Green, 2012, p. 10-11).
As discussed above language is an important aspect in all student centred approaches to literacy. The
social view of language recognises that any exchange of meaning occurs through some form of social
context (NSW Government Education & Communities, 2007, para. 21). As Halliday suggests language is a
social semiotic. It constructs meaning for different purposes and emphasises the need to choose
language to meet the needs of different situations. Teachers need to ensure they introduce students to
a variety of texts, both spoken and written, and encourage students to ask questions, share information,
argue and reflect on ideas to make sense of the world (Cusworth, 1995, p. 1-4).
As Beers (2011) illustrates, literacy is not about old versus new. it is about using a balanced approach to
provide children with opportunities that result in students who are career ready. A balanced approach
to literacy involves reading, writing, speaking, listening and viewing. It combines explicit instruction,
guided practice, collaborative learning, and independent reading and writing. Reading instruction
includes using code breaking skills, meaning making, text use and analysis. Writing instruction includes

4. the qualities of effective and appropriate writing, and the ability to use spelling, grammar and
punctuation. Students often work together and talk with fellow students while engaging in authentic
literacy activities which have a clear purpose or outcome that is clear to the students (Tompkins,
Campbell & Green, 2012, p. 16-17).
The change in what it means to be literate has influenced teachers to integrate reading, writing,
speaking, listening and viewing into the classroom through literature, everyday and multimodal texts
(Tompkins, Campbell & Green. 2012. pp. 1). For students to be successful literacy learners they need to
be able to adopt four roles simultaneously: code breaker, text participant, text user & text analyst.
These four roles combined are also known as the ‘Four Resources Model” and commence with a child’s
first dealing with text (Freebody & Luke. 1990, as cited in Tompkins, Campbell & Green. 2012. p. 3).
Freebody & Luke demonstrate the role of code breaker as being concerned with recognising print, visual
and auditory symbols on a page, computer screen and other media formats. Students also need to know
the sound-symbol connection of text and use syntactic patterns of language. The role of text participant
requires students to utilise prior knowledge, including social, cultural and prior reading experience, in
order to understand and make meaning of text. To become a successful text user, students need to be
aware of the text’s purpose and use. They also need to be mindful that everyone reads texts in different
ways due to their prior knowledge. Finally, the text analyst can look at a text with a critical eye and work
out why a text was written, what the author wants the reader to believe, how the author is trying to
position the reader and what the author is not telling the reader. Successful text analysts are aware that
authors make choices about text structure, grammar, wording, ideas and concepts and that these
choices reflect the world view of the author (Tompkins, Campbell & Green. 2012. pp. 4). The four
resources model gives teachers the tools to teach a balanced program and set clear objectives for
literacy instruction.
Literacy can no longer be thought of as just print literacy. Students make sense of literacy not only
through the written word, but by engaging with visual, audio, digital and multimedia texts. Teachers can
support students’ language and literacy learning by engaging students with these other modes as a
fundamental part of everyday classroom activities to help bridge the gap between home and the
classroom. By using these different modes, students begin to understand how to filter the
overwhelming amount of readily available information (Green, 2006, p. 6).
As mentioned previously, Vygotsky determined that oral language provides the foundation for learning
to read and write. Students not only use oral language for learning, but to communicate and share
experiences with teachers and peers. Christie (2005) demonstrates that oral language is a basic resource
used to negotiate relationships and shape meanings, values and knowledge. Oral language is a

5. fundamental tool teachers use to work together with students to support language and literacy learning
in the classroom.
When it comes to the learning needs of students from diverse backgrounds, Tompkins, Campbell &
Green (2012) illustrate that teachers who adopt a sociolinguistic approach to teaching acknowledge the
legitimacy of all students’ cultures and social customs. They use multicultural literature such as, Big Rain
Coming and Onion Tears to develop students’ cross-cultural awareness. Using strategies such as this
assists in bridging the gap between home and school.
In conclusion, there are many theories when it comes to learning literacy skills. These range from
teacher centred traditional views to more modern student centred approaches such as, constructivist,
sociolinguistic and cognitive / information processing views. None of the above approaches are right or
wrong they just need to be blended in order to produce a balanced approach to literacy so students
from all walks of life can succeed in becoming literate. The task for teachers is to develop a literacy
program that challenges and inspires their particular class and ensures that students gain skills and
strategies to become literate.

6. REFERENCE LIST:
Beers, S. (2011). Teaching 21st Century Skills. Retrieved from
http://books.google.com.au/books?id=KHHRBsjamusC&pg=PA3&dq=what+does+it+mean+to+b
e+literate+in+21st+century&hl=en&sa=X&ei=5UV4T9DqFKeOmQXz1_XpDw&ved=0CDwQ6AEw
AQ#v=onepage&q=what%20does%20it%20mean%20to%20be%20literate%20in%2021st%20cen
tury&f=false
Christie, F. (2005). Language and Literacy. Sydney, Australia: University of New South Wales Press.
Cusworth, R. (1995). What is a functional model of language? Sydney, Australia: Pen 95 PETA.
Green, D. (2006). Understanding language and language learning.
Luke, A. (1993). Literacy Learning and Teaching: Language as Social Practice in the Primary School. South
Melbourne, Australia: Macmillan Education Australia Pty Ltd.
NSW Government Education & Communities. (2007). Learning and Teaching Entitlement. Retrieved from
http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/learning/k-6assessments/entitlement.php
Tompkins, G., Campbell, R. & Green, D. (2012). Literacy for the 21st Century: A balanced Approach.
Frenches Forest, NSW: Pearson Australia.