Literacy Development and Language Arts

What this page covers

This page lists resources on how children become literate and how teachers support them. Most are mind maps, with quizzes, flashcards, notes, flowcharts and slide sets alongside. Topics range from sounds in words to reading for pleasure, writing, spelling and assessment.

Where to start

Begin with the mind map Phonemic awareness and phonics. It sets out the key terms, such as phoneme and phonological awareness. Then read the notes SubArea I. Foundations of Literacy, which cover theories of literacy acquisition and development.

Next, widen the picture:

• Balanced Literacy_1 looks at guided reading and how teachers choose texts.
• Critical Literacy looks at literacy as a way to analyze and question society.
• Four literacies practices Model treats literacy as an everyday social practice.

Using quizzes and maps together

Read a map first, then test yourself. The quiz Reading 201 asks you to name a teaching technique from a short classroom example, which is a good check on phonemic awareness. Note what you miss, go back to the matching map, and try again.

If you are preparing for a teaching exam, the page lists quizzes and flashcards named for Praxis II and for other teacher tests. The resources mention oposiciones as well. Use them to practice question styles after you have worked through the maps.

Where it fits

This unit sits in the strand Teaching Language Skills and Literacy, within the subject Education and pedagogy. It is a good fit for study on teaching reading and writing, with a small amount on early years.

Your next step

Pick one map that matches what you are studying this week, then take a quiz on it. When you are ready, make your own mind map or flashcards from what you learned.