EDU30068: Assignment 3 Folio - Swinburne University School of Social Sciences

Assignment overview

In this assignment, you will design a literacy unit that reflects a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to reading instruction in the primary years. Drawing on the 'Big Six' components of reading (Konza, 2014), you will plan and justify a series of teaching and assessment strategies that promote phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and oral language development.

Assignment details

Throughout your teaching and learning journey, you will be required to use your relevant national and/or state or territory curriculum. To help you further build capability in this area, and to prepare you for placements, at Swinburne Online you may choose to use your state/territory-based curriculum document, or the Australian Curriculum in your assignments. For further information specific to your assignments for this specific unit, please seek advice from your OLAs and/or your Unit Coordinator.

Rationale

Developing a literacy unit plan provides a structured framework for teaching and assessing essential literacy skills, ensuring instruction is coherent, differentiated, and aligned with curriculum standards. Additionally, incorporating assessment tools and theoretical foundations enhances the depth and practical application of the unit plan in the classroom.

Task

For this assignment, you will need to complete three sections:

• Section 1: Unit plan overview (approximately 1600 words)
• Section 2: Assessment tools and evaluation (approximately 700 words)
• Section 3: Rationale and reflection - Linking theory to practice (approximately 300 words

Section 1: Unit plan overview

Design a four-week reading unit for a Primary School class, explicitly integrating the six components of reading. You will provide a detailed weekly overview of the learning activities planned for each week, clearly outlining how they align with the Big Six components of reading, support student engagement, and build toward the unit’s learning intentions and success criteria.

Your plan must include:

• Learning Intentions and Success Criteria aligned to the Australian Curriculum (English).
• The integration of all elements of the Big Six:
  • oral language
  • phonemic awareness
  • phonics
  • fluency
  • vocabulary
  • comprehension
• The inclusion of a range of evidence-based teaching strategies and the use of least one multimodal text that enhances engagement and comprehension.
• A clear explanation of how differentiation will be implemented by adjusting the content, process, or product to meet the diverse learning needs of:
  • EAL/D students
  • Students with learning difficulties
  • High-achieving learners

Section 2: Assessment tools and evaluation

Choose at least three assessment tools aligned to the Big Six and describe:

• What the tool assesses. When and how it would be implemented in the unit.
• How would the results inform your instruction (formative use).
• The strengths and limitations of each tool.

Section 3: Rationale and reflection - Linking theory to practice

In this section of your folio, you will write a rationale that explains how your unit plan is grounded in current research and evidence-based approaches to teaching reading in the primary years. This is your opportunity to demonstrate how theory informs your planning decisions and to reflect on your understanding of inclusive, equitable literacy instruction. This section should show critical thinking, connecting what you've learned in the unit with the pedagogical choices you've made in your plan.

Your rationale should address the following:

• Explain how your unit draws on evidence-based practices in reading instruction, including structured literacy approaches and the Big Six components (Konza, 2014).
• Justify your selection of teaching strategies and assessment tools, referencing relevant academic literature to support your choices.
• Reflect on how your planning supports inclusive and equitable learning experiences, particularly for students from diverse language backgrounds and with varying learning needs.

Summary of Assessment Requirements

This assignment requires the design of a four-week literacy unit plan for primary school students, integrating a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to reading instruction based on the Big Six components of reading (Konza, 2014):

• Oral language
• Phonemic awareness
• Phonics
• Fluency
• Vocabulary
• Comprehension

The assignment is divided into three main sections:

1. Unit Plan Overview (approx. 1600 words)

   • Weekly learning activities aligned with the Big Six components.
   • Learning intentions and success criteria linked to the Australian Curriculum (English).
   • Evidence-based teaching strategies and at least one multimodal text.
   • Differentiation strategies for EAL/D students, learners with difficulties, and high-achieving learners.

2. Assessment Tools and Evaluation (approx. 700 words)

   • Selection of at least three assessment tools aligned with the Big Six.
   • Explanation of what each tool assesses, timing of implementation, and formative use.
   • Discussion of strengths and limitations.

3. Rationale and Reflection Linking Theory to Practice (approx. 300 words)

   • Evidence-based justification for teaching strategies and assessment choices.
   • Reflection on how the unit plan supports inclusive and equitable literacy instruction.
   • Connection of theory with practical decision-making in planning.

Step-by-Step Approach Guided by the Academic Mentor

Step 1: Planning the Unit Overview

The Academic mentor guided the student to first map out the four-week structure, ensuring each week explicitly addressed components of the Big Six. The mentor emphasized:

• Aligning learning intentions with curriculum standards.
• Integrating multimodal texts to engage students and enhance comprehension.
• Planning differentiated strategies for students with diverse learning needs.

Step 2: Selecting Assessment Tools

The mentor assisted in identifying three assessment tools (e.g., running records, phonics assessments, comprehension quizzes) and helped the student explain:

• What each tool measures and how it aligns with the Big Six.
• How formative data from these tools would inform instruction and guide differentiation.
• Strengths and limitations of each tool to encourage critical evaluation.

Step 3: Writing the Rationale and Reflection

The mentor guided the student to:

• Link teaching strategies and assessment tools to evidence-based research in literacy instruction (Konza, 2014).
• Reflect on inclusivity, equity, and the needs of EAL/D students and learners with difficulties.
• Demonstrate critical thinking by connecting theory with practical classroom application.

Outcome and Learning Objectives Covered

The final submission:

• Presented a cohesive four-week literacy unit with detailed weekly activities.
• Integrated all Big Six components of reading through evidence-based strategies.
• Included differentiated instruction for diverse learners.
• Demonstrated effective selection and use of assessment tools to inform teaching.
• Provided a clear rationale grounded in research, showing a link between theory and practice.

Learning objectives achieved:

• Apply evidence-based literacy teaching strategies in planning.
• Align instruction with curriculum standards.
• Implement inclusive and differentiated literacy instruction.
• Evaluate and use assessment data to improve student learning outcomes.
• Reflect critically on pedagogical choices and theory-practice connections.

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