Latest Module Specifications
Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026
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Description This module is designed to support the teaching and learning of literacy from 3rd to 6th class and to develop student teachers as agentic, critically reflective practitioners. It adopts a comprehensive approach to literacy that integrates oral language, reading and writing, in line with the Primary Language Curriculum (PLC). The module focuses on both fiction and non‑fiction texts and addresses core skills in reading, including the explicit teaching of word recognition, with particular emphasis on morphology and syllabification, as well as reading comprehension. Comprehension instruction encompasses the teaching of key comprehension strategies and an exploration of text structures appropriate to a range of fiction and non‑fiction genres. The module also supports children in developing as writers of both fiction and non‑fiction, with attention to key genres including narrative, explanation, report and persuasive writing. A particular emphasis is placed on project‑based and inquiry‑oriented approaches to literacy development, where authentic and meaningful contexts are created for the integrated use of the three PLC strands. Students critically examine the implications of a disciplinary approach to literacy, particularly within cross‑curricular contexts, and explore how disciplinary knowledge shapes literacy practices across subject areas. In addition, the module foregrounds the critical and purposeful use of digital technologies, enabling students to harness digital tools to support the development of literacy skills and dispositions while engaging thoughtfully with issues of text, audience, credibility and multimodality. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Learning Outcomes 1. Demonstrate a critical understanding of literacy development in middle and senior classes (3rd–6th), including the interrelated roles of oral language, reading and writing within the Primary Language Curriculum. 2. Plan, teach and justify explicit approaches to word recognition, with particular reference to morphology, and explain their significance for fluent and accurate reading in older primary pupils. 3. Design and evaluate comprehension instruction that includes the explicit teaching of comprehension strategies and text structures appropriate to a range of fiction and non‑fiction genres. 4. Support children’s development as writers of fiction and non‑fiction, including narrative, explanation, report and persuasive genres, using a process‑based and genre‑aware approach to writing instruction. 5. Design project‑based and inquiry‑oriented literacy experiences that provide authentic contexts for the integrated development of oral language, reading and writing across the curriculum. 6. Analyse literacy practices through a disciplinary lens, critically examining how subject‑specific ways of knowing, language use and text forms shape literacy learning in cross‑curricular contexts. 7. Use digital technologies critically and purposefully to support the development and application of children’s literacy skills and dispositions, including critical engagement with multimodal and digital texts. 8. Demonstrate professional agency through reflective practice, drawing on research, curriculum policy and classroom evidence to make informed, ethical and context‑responsive decisions about literacy teaching and learning. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml |
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Indicative Content and Learning Activities
Literacy Education 3 This module is designed to support the teaching and learning of literacy from 3rd to 6th class and to develop student teachers as agentic, critically reflective practitioners. It adopts a comprehensive approach to literacy that integrates oral language, reading and writing, in line with the Primary Language Spefication. The module focuses on both fiction and non‑fiction texts and addresses core skills in reading, including the explicit teaching of word recognition, with particular emphasis on morphology and syllabification, as well as reading comprehension. Comprehension instruction encompasses the teaching of key comprehension strategies and an exploration of text structures appropriate to a range of fiction and non‑fiction genres. The module also supports children in developing as writers of both fiction and non‑fiction, with attention to key genres including narrative, explanation, report and persuasive writing. A particular emphasis is placed on project‑based and inquiry‑oriented approaches to literacy development, where authentic and meaningful contexts are created for the integrated use of the three Language Spefication strands. Students critically examine the implications of a disciplinary approach to literacy, particularly within cross‑curricular contexts, and explore how disciplinary knowledge shapes literacy practices across subject areas. In addition, the module foregrounds the critical and purposeful use of digital technologies, enabling students to harness digital tools to support the development of literacy skills and dispositions while engaging thoughtfully with issues of text, audience, credibility and multimodality. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Indicative Reading List Books: None Articles:
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Other Resources None | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||