EDUC 3062 Studies in English Education

Assignment 1: Case Study

Insights into Challenges

For an Indigenous Australian child such as Cathy, many challenges are prevalent in the classroom.
Raised in Alice Springs by a community, Cathy has developed a strong physical and spiritual connection
to her land and the members within her community (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting
Authority [ACARA] 2017; Gollan & Malin 2012, p. 161). After relocating to the city, Cathy and her
parents, as a result, may find it challenging to not be surrounded by their familiar community, to
understand new customs, and to establish membership within a new group. In attempting to establish
this new membership, families such as Cathy’s may find it difficult to trust the new school to support
their culture, given historical events that positioned Indigenous Australians as abnormal and requiring
interventions (Macoun 2011, p. 523). In addition, Cathy is bilingual, speaking both English and
Eastern/Central Arrernte at home with her parents, whose desire for her to succeed has encouraged
them to expose her to rich language learning opportunities, including storytelling (McLeod et al. 2014,
p. 128). While she is competent in everyday spoken English, her limited English vocabulary may cause
difficulties in understanding specialised terminologies and applying this knowledge to reading and
writing (Winch et al. 2014, p. 242). Cathy’s ability to read, therefore, may be slow and her
comprehension of unfamiliar topics poor, while her writing may be informal, display a limited
vocabulary, have poor spelling and lack a simple sentence structure (Henderson 2004, p. 11). Due to
relocating and a change in a community context, Cathy may also find her identity challenged due to
difficulties using her Indigenous language (McLeod et al. 2014, p. 119). Additionally, like one in two
Indigenous Australian children, Cathy did not receive a pre-school education (Brim & Mannion 2012,
p. 8). Together, with the tendency to miss at least one day of school a week, this has placed Cathy
behind in many subject areas when comparing her level to her Year 2 peers (Price 2012, p. 11).
Notably, it is difficult for students who have fallen behind to catch up, particularly within an English
literacy learning setting where students may become reluctant to engage with literature, and instead,
develop negative attitudes (Hyde et al. 2014, pp. 113-114).

Focusing on the Australian Curriculum English Literature Strand

In Year 2, the Australian Curriculum English Literature strand outlines expectations for students across
four sub-strands: literature and context, responding to literature, examining literature, and creating
literature (ACARA 2017). For Cathy, the creating literature strand provides several opportunities to
apply her strong understanding of story, including character and plot (ACARA 2017, ACELT1593;

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Lewanna Hampel, Student ID: 110232121, Tutor: Kerry Gehling
ACELT1833 [Appendix 1]). This additionally includes the potential to create alternate outcomes for
stories she is familiar with, such as dream-time stories, and present these orally or pictorially as she
may have done in her Indigenous community. However, Cathy could also be challenged here as her
limited writing skills may make it difficult to record and present her ideas textually. Similarly, the Year
2 examining literature sub-strand provides a great opportunity for Cathy to engage with her culture
through the examination of rhythmic, sound and word patterns (ACARA 2017, ACELT1592 [Appendix
1]). This could involve examining songs or chants from her community, which would not only enhance
her literacy skills but support her identity and encourage the use of her Indigenous language (Scull
2016, p. 55). The expectations of the examining literature and responding to literature sub-strands
require students to use comparative terminology to discuss different text types, including texts that
entertain (ACARA 2017, ACELT1589; ACELT1590; ACELT1591 [Appendix 1]). For Cathy, this would be
challenging because of her limited English vocabulary, and her unfamiliarity with the conventions
utilised in a diverse range of texts may make it hard to apply her semantic cueing system to decode
them (Winch et al. 2014, p. 20). As Cathy has been identified to work at a lower level than her peers,
she may also struggle to compare texts and identify elements that make texts entertaining because
she is unable to understand the text initially.

Inclusive Literacy Teaching

Literacy is the ability to read, write, speak and illustrate in varied contexts to shape meaning for
different purposes (ACARA 2017; Hyde et al. 2014, p. 110; Winch et al. 2014, p. 711). Therefore,
inclusive literacy teaching is based on the concept of inclusive education; every student is entitled to
the opportunity to access and participate in quality literacy learning experiences (Hyde et al. 2014, p.
298). As Edminston (2007, p. 339) indicates, this involves not only full participation in literacy learning
experiences but the understanding that every child is a valued citizen in the classroom. Accordingly,
the role of educators in an inclusive literacy classroom is to consider each child’s strengths and needs
and to remove barriers to participation with the view that all students can succeed (Hyde et al. 2014,
p. 400). This understanding aligns with two principles of inclusive teaching: Principle 2, to expect
growth from every student, and Principle 5, to learn, acknowledge, and work with every child’s
resources. Hyde (et al. 2014, p. 400) further supports Principle 5 by highlighting that making learning
meaningful and relevant to students is a crucial element of inclusive education. The importance of an
inclusive literacy classroom for Indigenous Australian children is emphasised in Brim & Mannion’s
(2012, p. 8) aim to create inclusive programs to benefit the futures of Indigenous children. The need
for inclusive programs is supported by research that suggests Indigenous children are often

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Lewanna Hampel, Student ID: 110232121, Tutor: Kerry Gehling
disadvantaged because of poor literacy skills, including not completing secondary education and
limiting job prospects (McLeod et al. 2014, p. 118).

Inclusive Strategies for Literature Teaching

Educators must be aware of inclusive literacy strategies as inclusive literacy learning is a critical part
of closing the gap in Indigenous discrimination (Scull 2016, p. 60). One key strategy is to actively
include caregivers in a child’s learning, including seeking out opportunities to talk to caregivers after
school and making phone calls home (Brim & Mannion 2012, p. 8; McLeod et al. 2014, p.129). In
Cathy’s case, this strategy would enable educators to gain knowledge about the literacy practices she
engages in at home and to alter the experiences they offer in the classroom so that she is included
(Brim & Mannion 2012, p. 10). For example, integrating text types Cathy is familiar with and can
understand. This strategy supports the understanding that what a child can do at home may not be
evident at school because abilities are contextual (inclusive literacy teaching Principle 1). Mutual
learning between Indigenous caregivers and teachers is important as it enables both parties to learn
from each other (Brim & Mannion 2012, p. 8; Scull 2016, p. 56). Moreover, developing strong
communication channels with Cathy’s parents would develop trust by communicating that their
knowledge and opinions are valued. This relationship could also enable educators to include Cathy’s
family in the school community by inviting them into the classroom to share their knowledge and
introducing them to other families to help them develop connections in their new community.

The second strategy educators can use to support inclusive literacy learning in the classroom is to
ensure that learning outcomes are achievable for all students (Principle 3). This is important so
students do not develop negative dispositions towards literacy, and instead view themselves as
competent and capable literacy learners (Hyde et al. 2014, p. 114). To do this, educators may provide
students with options for how they may like to complete a task, such as working individually or in
pairs. For example, Cathy may choose to work in a pair for a heavily text orientated task to utilise her
imagination to engage with the task while her partner can scribe their ideas. Providing options for
students in the classroom to achieve learning outcomes aligns with Principle 4 of inclusive literacy
teaching; enable a range of pathways towards learning outcomes. Accordingly, Cathy’s literacy skills
and vocabulary may be extended by working in a pair as she engages in collaborative learning
(Woolfolk & Margetts 2016, p. 338). Furthermore, small group experiences such as this may benefit
Cathy and her peers to get to know each other better, increasing her inclusion in the general
classroom.

To support an Indigenous child who is working at a lower literacy level than their peers, it is important
that the classroom is a safe and supportive space where individuals accept each other. To create this

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Lewanna Hampel, Student ID: 110232121, Tutor: Kerry Gehling
environment, educators can develop a classroom community that sees mistakes as learning
opportunities, knows how to use resources and is not afraid to ask for help (Principle 6; McDonald
2013, p.138). This may include formally teaching students how to use a dictionary and classroom
posters or introducing the class rule ‘three before me’, whereby students ask three peers for help
before seeking assistance from the teacher.

Future Challenges

To be a successful inclusive literacy educator in the future, it is important that I reflect on the principles
of inclusive literacy teaching as they provide important considerations to support student’s success.
Additionally, providing opportunities for students to give me feedback about my practices in the
classroom will prove extremely effective. By developing strong communication channels with parents
and seeking out opportunities to discuss the literacy students are engaging in at home, my
understanding of students’ abilities will, in turn, increase. This will ensure I do not make assumptions
about what individual students are capable of. In continuing to develop as an inclusive educator, I
must seek answers to any questions raised, either personally or from others. For example, is it better
for students to receive targeted, individual learning outside the classroom to improve their reading?
Would this individual learning be perceived negatively by peers? Most importantly, as a future
inclusive literacy educator, I must regularly remind myself that each student is unique, provides
different knowledge to the classroom and is capable of succeeding.

Word Count (including in-text references) = 1621

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Lewanna Hampel, Student ID: 110232121, Tutor: Kerry Gehling
Reference List

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) 2017, Australian Curriculum:
English, ACARA, viewed 2 September 2019, <https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-
curriculum/english/>.

Brim, R, & Mannion, K 2012, ‘Families as first teachers: Giving Indigenous children a strong start for a
brighter future’, Educating Young Children, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 8-11.

Edminston, B 2007, ‘Mission to Mars: using drama to make a more inclusive classroom for literacy
learning’, Language Arts, vol. 84, no. 4, pp. 337-346.

Gollan, S & Malin M 2012 ‘Teachers and families working together to build stronger futures for our
children in school’ in Q Beresford, G Partington & G Gower (eds) Reform and Resistance in Aboriginal
Education, UWA Publishing, pp. 149 -174.

Henderson, R 2004, ‘Recognising difference: one of the challenges of using a multiliteracies

approach’, Practically Primary, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 11-14.

Hyde, M, Carpenter, L & Conway, R 2014, Diversity, Inclusion & Engagement, 2nd edn, Oxford
University Press, South Melbourne, VIC.

Macoun, A 2011, ‘Aboriginality and the Northern Territory Intervention’, Australian Journal of
Political Science, vol. 46, no. 3, pp. 519-534.

McDonald, T 2013, ‘Proactive Teacher Behaviours’, Classroom Management: engaging students in

learning, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, VIC, pp. 106-154.

McLeod, S, Verdona, S & Kneebone, LB 2014, ‘Celebrating young Indigenous Australian children’s
speech and language competence’, Early Childhood Research Quarterly, vol. 29, no. 2, pp. 118-131.

Price, K 2012 ‘A brief history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education in Australia’ in K Price
(ed) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education: An introduction for the teaching profession,
Cambridge University Press, Sydney, NSW, pp. 1 – 20.

Scull, J 2016, ‘Effective literacy teaching for indigenous students: principles from evidence-based
practices’, Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 54-63.

Winch, G, Johnston, RR, March, P, Ljungdahl, L & Holliday, M 2014, Literacy: reading, writing and
children’s literature, 5th edn, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, VIC.

Woolfolk, A & Margetts, K 2016, Educational psychology, 4th edn, Pearson Australia, Melbourne,
VIC.

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Lewanna Hampel, Student ID: 110232121, Tutor: Kerry Gehling
Appendix
Appendix 1: Australian Curriculum: English: Literature Content Descriptors (ACARA 2017)
a) Responding to Literature: ACELT1589: Compare opinions about characters, events and
settings in and between texts.
b) Responding to Literature: ACELT1590: Identify aspects of different types of literary texts that
entertain, and give reasons for personal preferences.
c) Examining Literature: ACELT1591: Discuss the characters and settings of different texts and
explore how language is used to present these features in different ways.
d) Examining Literature: ACELT1592: Identify, reproduce and experiment with rhythmic, sound
and word patterns in poems, chants, rhymes and songs.
e) Creating Literature: ACELT1593: Create events and characters using different media that
develop key events and characters from literary texts.
f) Creating Literature: ACELT1833: Innovate on familiar texts by experimenting with character,
setting or plot.

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Lewanna Hampel, Student ID: 110232121, Tutor: Kerry Gehling