Diploma in Early Childhood Education: Aboriginal Literacy Report

This report, prepared for a Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care program, addresses the complexities of literacy learning for Aboriginal children. It begins by highlighting the significant disparities in literacy and numeracy outcomes within this population, particularly in remote communities. The report explores the factors contributing to these challenges, such as school attendance, teaching quality, cultural considerations, and mental health issues. It then examines potential solutions, including culturally sensitive curricula, community involvement, and teacher training. The report further delves into the phonics and whole language approaches to teaching reading, presenting their respective advantages and disadvantages. It advocates for a blended approach, integrating elements of both methodologies, and outlines strategies for implementing such a curriculum. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of leadership, appropriate instructional design, and community and family involvement in improving literacy skills among Aboriginal children, supported by relevant references.

Running head: DIPLOMA IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE
DIPLOMA IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE
Name of the Student
Name of the university
Author’s note

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Research task 1
Introduction
Despite of considerable efforts, the “closing the gap” in literacy and in school retention in
the aboriginal population is very slow. A survey had shown that an average of 30 % of the
indigenous children across all the areas tested had shown that thy fail the basic tests and did not
reach he National standards for numeracy and literacy. The failure in the basic test seems to rise
to almost 80 % in remote communities of the Northern territory.
This paper will discuss about the various complexities of literacy learning for the
Aboriginal children, and will also give an account of the possible measures for a positive health
literacy outcomes.
Discussions
Some of the reasons that have been identified responsible for the failure to acquire the
basic literacy and the numeracy skills is the fact that most of the indigenous children are likely to
leave school, before they are sufficiently literate to cope up with the demands of the working life.
Again poor school attendance, lack of skilled teaching, lack of culture and education in some of
the indigenous families and the multiples stressors present in the endogenous families, putting
the child’s development at risk can make the incidence of going to school, a low priority in the
life of the people. Some of the other factors are mental health problems.

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Many doors remain closed to the children who are unable to read and write. In a world
where the Australian aboriginal children would grow up, the English language dominates the
overall culture
In order to provide enough supports to improve the literacy in the indigenous people, an
increased support, leadership within the school structures, individual support for the student who
are at risk, their families use of culturally sensitive curriculum. It also involves the designing of a
broad curricula with a learning environment that is culturally sensitive (Prior, 2013). Local
indigenous communities and the school can develop specific programs like cultural excursions. It
is necessary to encourage the indigenous parents to participate in the school based program. This
can be linked with the ELYF that supports collaborative participation with the families and the
communities for a comprehensive growth of the child (Australian Children’s Education & Care
Quality Authority,2013). Such initiatives allows the children to develop literacy skills and
develop a sense of belongingness to the groups and the communities and develop an
understanding of the reciprocal rights and the responsibilities required for the active community
participation.
Prior, (2013) have stated, that chapters on the children’s literatures, especially those with
the pictures are normative feature of the contemporary text of the literacy development. Ewing,
Callow & Rushton, (2016) have stated that, some of the approaches, like the importance of
reading aloud in front of the children ,storytelling, oral language and play, can help increasing
the literacy among the aboriginal children. Emphasis should be given on establishing the mastery
over English language. The teachings of the reading needs has to be based on the scientific
evidences that provided that involves solid grounding in the knowledge of the phonological skills
and the letters. Again the teachers are often unskilled to accelerate the learning process in the

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children . (Ewing, Callow & Rushton, 2016). The education system should arrange for the proper
training to the graduates. Specifically, those teachers in the schools having the indigenous
children should be properly prepared to understand and analyze the non- standard English in the
early months of the training. Emphasis should be given on the use of the proper instructional
methds to teach the aboriginal children.
Conclusion
In conclusion it can be said that proper leadership skills among the educators, use of
correct and culturally appropriate instructional designs, designing culturally appropriate
curriculum and involving the community and the family in the learning process can assist in
increasing the literacy skills among the indigenous children.

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Research task 2
Introduction
This paper would discuss about the advantages and the disadvantages of the phonics and
the whole language approaches to teach reading. The paper would further provide an account as
of why a blended approach should be used and the various strategies to incorporate a blended
learning.
Discussion
The phonetic approach is a method in teaching and learning based on the letters of the
alphabets and their associated sounds. Children learn the letters of the alphabet and its associated
sounds. Some of the advantages of using the phonics language is that in phonics instruction, the
children learns about the sounds and the shapes of the alphabets (Maddox & Feng, 2013). This
approach helps the children to decode new letters in to shorter letters or sounds that can be
blended together to form the words. Phonics instruction can be helpful for the children to spell
new words while writing (Campbell, 2015).
Some of the disadvantages associated with the use of the phonetics approach is that each
and every words are not spelled phonetically, which can be frustrating and confusing for the new
learners. Words like “ocean”, “sugar” and some more do not follow phonetic approach as using
phonetic approach the word “said” will be spelled as “sayed” (Maddox & Feng, 2013).The
phonetic approach might help a student to read an entire student, but the method necessarily does
not emphasize on the meaningfulness of the entire sentence (Maddox & Feng, 2013).

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The whole language approach in learning emphasize to read the words as a whole piece
of language. This is influenced by the constructivist theory .Based on this, the proponents of the
whole language theory believes that the children draw from their viewpoints and experiences to
form new knowledge framework (Campbell, 2015). The instruction is taught to the children by
using a holistic approach, as the children does not break down the sounds and associate with
prior knowledge.
According to a study done in Scotland, it has been found that children who learn using a
phonic approach learn at a slower pace and understand less than those who study by using a
blended approach. A blended approach used in language literacy permits children to start
learning with a phonics-based programs and then transition to the whole language learning
approach. Tomlinson & Whittaker, (2013) has emphasized on some of the essential components
that should be taught in a blended approach and involves phonics, phonic awareness, reading
fluency , development of the vocabulary and reading comprehension. Educators should build a
whole language environment with authentic and meaningful English texts, but explicit phonic
lessons should also be integrated and emphasized in to the language curriculum (Rasinski &
Padak, 2013). Students have to learn specific phonic lessons in to the daily reading instructions.
In order to include a blended curriculum, the reading instructions should include a
teacher-directed phonic activities. For example, a teacher might introduce a language lesson by
introducing a specific phonic pattern, followed by a brief demonstration of how the patterns can
be used to spell various words.

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Conclusion
In conclusion it can be said that phonetic based reading involves the breaking down of
the language in to simple and short components. Whereas the whole language approach involves
teaching words as whole pieces of languages. Due to, the individual disadvantages of each of the
approach, a blended approach is preferred by most of the educators. The early years learning
frameworks curriculum mainly follows an integrated or blended curriculum. Students should lean
the phonic patterns of several words to decipher the word, but should also possess the capacity to
spell single words. Researches have shown that children who had been taught using a blended
technique develops as stringer readers and writers.

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References
Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2013). Guide to the National
Quality Standard. Retrieved from http://files.acecqa.gov.au/files/National-Quality-
Framework-ResourcesKit/NQF-Resource-03-Guide-to-NQS.pdf
Australian Government Department of Education and Training for the Council of Australian
Governments. (2009). Belonging, being & becoming: The Early Years Learning
Framework for Australia. Retrieved from http://education.gov.au/early-years-learning-
framework
Campbell, S. (2015). Feeling the pressure: Early childhood educators' reported views about
learning and teaching phonics in Australian prior-to-school settings. Australian Journal
of Language and Literacy, The, 38(1), 12.
Ewing, R., Callow, J., & Rushton, K. (2016). Language and literacy development in early
childhood. Cambridge University Press.
Maddox, K., & Feng, J. (2013). Whole Language Instruction vs. Phonics Instruction: Effect on
Reading Fluency and Spelling Accuracy of First Grade Students. Online Submission.
Prior, M. (2013). Language and literacy challenges for Indigenous children in Australia.
Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties, 18(2), 123-137.
Rasinski, T. V., & Padak, N. (2013). From phonics to fluency: Effective teaching of decoding
and reading fluency in the elementary school. Allyn & Bacon.

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Tomlinson, B., & Whittaker, C. (2013). Blended learning in English language teaching. London:
British Council.