Pedagogical Literacy

About this module

In this module, we consider the role of disciplinary literacy in learning and how teachers and school leaders can incorporate what we know about the impact of literacy development in both classroom and whole-school strategies.

The sessions will outline literacy challenges faced by classroom practitioners and how these apply at a subject disciplinary perspective. We’ll consider the value of explicit vocabulary instruction and the challenges that pupils face in developing their disciplinary literacy.

Using examples of explicit vocabulary instruction in different subject specialisms the module will provide some practical approaches to enhancing literacy development as well as considering how you can review the literacy demands of your subject.

This module provides a foundation for further exploration within specific subject disciplines.

Session One: Disciplinary Literacy will explore:

• What are the literacy challenges and how do these relate to disciplinary literacy?
• How do subject pedagogical demands influence literacy instruction?
• What are the challenges pupils face in developing specialised literacy?

Session Two: Vocabulary Instruction will explore:

• Vocabulary instruction – what does it look like in general and within disciplines?
• Understanding the literacy demands of your subject.

• Understand the role of disciplinary literacy in learning.
• Understand the impact of literacy development in both the classroom and to support whole school strategy.
• Develop practical approaches to enhance literacy development using explicit vocabulary instruction.
• Begin to consider the how to review the literacy demands of your subject.