Early literacy education is shaped by competing theoretical traditions, policy reforms and pedagogical debates. In this course, you will critically examine contemporary research, curriculum frameworks and policy discourses that inform early literacy practice in early childhood education contexts. You will interrogate tensions between play-based learning and skills-based instruction, evaluate assessment practices and analyse how literacy pedagogy intersects with equity, language diversity and inclusion. In this course you will engage with literacy experts across a variety of industry settings to develop networks and career opportunities in the early childhood space. 

This course includes Industry Partnered Learning (IPL) activities, where you will have the opportunity to participate in authentic industry and community engaged activities and tasks to support your professional development and career planning such as Career Development Learning (CDL). 

The course positions literacy as a social, cultural and political practice embedded within the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF v2.0) and the National Quality Standard (NQS). You will develop the skills and knowledge to exercise advanced professional judgement in designing and justifying evidence-informed literacy approaches responsive to diverse early childhood contexts.  

This is a core course in the Master of Teaching Practice (Early Childhood) program that supports leadership in curriculum design and pedagogical decision-making in early childhood education contexts and industries.