Literacy in Early Childhood and Primary Education : Issues, Challenges and Solutions

Literacy in Early Childhood and Primary Education provides a comprehensive introduction to literacy teaching and learning. The book explores the continuum of literacy learning and children’s transitions from early childhood settings to junior primary classrooms, and then to senior primary and beyond. Reader-friendly and accessible, this book equips pre-service teachers with the theoretical underpinnings and practical strategies and skills needed to teach literacy. It places the ‘reading wars’ firmly in the past as it examines contemporary research and practices. The book covers important topics such as literacy acquisition, family literacies and multiliteracies, foundation skills for literacy learning, reading difficulties, assessment, and supporting diverse literacy learners in early childhood and primary classrooms. It also addresses some of the challenges that teachers may face in the classroom and provides solutions to these. Each chapter includes learning objectives, reflective questions and definitions to key terms to engage and assist readers. Further resources are also available at www.cambridge.edu.au/academic/literacy. Written by an expert author team and featuring real-world examples from literacy teachers and learners. Literacy in Early Childhood and Primary Education will help pre-service teachers feel confident teaching literacy to diverse age groups and abilities.

Mentoring preservice teachers' reflective practices towards producing teaching outcomes

Reflective practice appears crucial for professional growth, and making connections between mentoring practices and mentees’ reflections may assist mentors to guide reflective processes. This interpretive study initially explores, through the literature (e.g., Dewey, Schön), common processes of reflective thinking and uses a mentoring feedback framework with six practices to collect and analyse video, audio and observational data around two mentor-mentee case studies. The findings showed that these mentors (experienced primary teachers) articulated expectations for teaching, modelled reflective practices to their mentees (preservice teachers), and facilitated time and opportunities for advancing teaching practices, which influenced the mentees’ reflective practices and their pedagogical development. This study showed that the mentors’ personal attributes influenced the mentoring relationship and the mentees’ abilities to critically reflect on their practices.

The effect of alcohol and drug consumption on academic performance : a treatment effect evaluation

It is often argued that consumption of alcohol, tobacco and drugs is detrimental to the cognitive abilities of teenagers. In order to disentangle a possible causal effect of these substances use from a self-selection bias, we control for pupils previous performance and for their previous rate of progression applying a DiDiD strategy. Using the NELS 1988 panel dataset, we find that the effects of alcohol and tobacco on test scores disappear once the selection bias is controlled for (this does not preclude long term detrimental effects). However, we find reliable evidence that heavy use of drugs (marijuana and cocaine) has direct detrimental effects on educational achievements. Hence, our results may have significant policy implications.

HACC food service client cultural food preferences assessment tool

This assessment form is designed to help your HACC service provider arrange for the most appropriate food and meal services that they can. It includes questions relating to food preferences, health and nutrition, abilities to source and prepare foods as well as questions to highlight if you are at risk of not having adequate access to appropriate foods. It is understood that some people from certain cultures may not feel comfortable answering some of these questions. Therefore, please do not answer those questions with which you are not comfortable.

Young children’s metarepresentational competence in data modelling

longitudinal study of data modelling across grades 1-3. The activity engaged children in designing, implementing, and analysing a survey about their new playground. Data modelling involves investigations of meaningful phenomena, deciding what is worthy of attention (identifying complex attributes), and then progressing to organising, structuring, visualising, and representing data. The core components of data modelling addressed here are children’s structuring and representing of data, with a focus on their display of metarepresentational competence (diSessa, 2004). Such competence includes students’ abilities to invent or design a variety of new representations, explain their creations, understand the role they play, and critique and compare the adequacy of representations. Reported here are the ways in which the children structured and represented their data, the metarepresentational competence displayed, and links between their metarepresentational competence and conceptual competence.

Staying in touch and crafting mementoes

Designers of systems that attempt to support people in maintaining social connectedness should pay attention to the physical interaction characteristics of the systems they create. Systems today mostly accept the dominant computer interface configuration of screens, keyboards and mice, which are not always a good fit for settings outside the office, such as the home. We argue by reference to two design exemplars for a design philosophy that engages a broader range of people's abilities for skilled physical action when designing for social connectedness.

Wherefore art thou, inclusion? Analysing the development of inclusive education in New South Wales, Finland and Alberta

Over the last two decades, moves toward “inclusion” have prompted change in the formation of education policies, schooling structures and pedagogical practice. Yet, exclusion through the categorisation and segregation of students with diverse abilities has grown; particularly for students with challenging behaviour. This paper considers what has happened to inclusive education by focusing on three educational jurisdictions known to be experiencing different rates of growth in the identification of special educational needs: New South Wales (Australia), Alberta (Canada) and Finland (Europe). In our analysis, we consider the effects of competing policy forces that appear to thwart the development of inclusive schools in two of our case-study regions.

Developing capabilities for social inclusion : engaging diversity through inclusive school communities

The effort to make schools more inclusive, together with the pressure to retain students until the end of secondary school, has greatly increased both the number and educational requirements of students enrolling in their local school. Of critical concern, despite years of research and improvements in policy, pedagogy and educational knowledge, is the enduring categorisation and marginalization of students with diverse abilities. Research has shown that it can be difficult for schools to negotiate away from the pressure to categorise or diagnose such students, particularly those with challenging behaviour. In this paper, we highlight instances where some schools have responded to increasing diversity by developing new cultural practices to engage both staff and students; in some cases, decreasing suspension while improving retention, behaviour and performance.

Problem solving in the primary school (K-2)

This article focuses on problem solving activities in a first grade classroom in a typical small community and school in Indiana. But, the teacher and the activities in this class were not at all typical of what goes on in most comparable classrooms; and, the issues that will be addressed are relevant and important for students from kindergarten through college. Can children really solve problems that involve concepts (or skills) that they have not yet been taught? Can children really create important mathematical concepts on their own – without a lot of guidance from teachers? What is the relationship between problem solving abilities and the mastery of skills that are widely regarded as being “prerequisites” to such tasks?Can primary school children (whose toolkits of skills are limited) engage productively in authentic simulations of “real life” problem solving situations? Can three-person teams of primary school children really work together collaboratively, and remain intensely engaged, on problem solving activities that require more than an hour to complete? Are the kinds of learning and problem solving experiences that are recommended (for example) in the USA’s Common Core State Curriculum Standards really representative of the kind that even young children encounter beyond school in the 21st century? … This article offers an existence proof showing why our answers to these questions are: Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. And: No. … Even though the evidence we present is only intended to demonstrate what’s possible, not what’s likely to occur under any circumstances, there is no reason to expect that the things that our children accomplished could not be accomplished by average ability children in other schools and classrooms.

Approaches to designing for older adults' intuitive interaction with complex devices

Many older people have difficulties using modern consumer products due to increased product complexity both in terms of functionality and interface design. Previous research has shown that older people have more difficulty in using complex devices intuitively when compared to the younger. Furthermore, increased life expectancy and a falling birth rate have been catalysts for changes in world demographics over the past two decades. This trend also suggests a proportional increase of older people in the work-force. This realisation has led to research on the effective use of technology by older populations in an effort to engage them more productively and to assist them in leading independent lives. Ironically, not enough attention has been paid to the development of interaction design strategies that would actually enable older users to better exploit new technologies. Previous research suggests that if products are designed to reflect people's prior knowledge, they will appear intuitive to use. Since intuitive interfaces utilise domain-specific prior knowledge of users, they require minimal learning for effective interaction. However, older people are very diverse in their capabilities and domain-specific prior knowledge. In addition, ageing also slows down the process of acquiring new knowledge. Keeping these suggestions and limitations in view, the aim of this study was set to investigate possible approaches to developing interfaces that facilitate their intuitive use by older people. In this quest to develop intuitive interfaces for older people, two experiments were conducted that systematically investigated redundancy (the use of both text and icons) in interface design, complexity of interface structure (nested versus flat), and personal user factors such as cognitive abilities, perceived self-efficacy and technology anxiety. All of these factors could interfere with intuitive use. The results from the first experiment suggest that, contrary to what was hypothesised, older people (65+ years) completed the tasks on the text only based interface design faster than on the redundant interface design. The outcome of the second experiment showed that, as expected, older people took more time on a nested interface. However, they did not make significantly more errors compared with younger age groups. Contrary to what was expected, older age groups also did better under anxious conditions. The findings of this study also suggest that older age groups are more heterogeneous in their capabilities and their intuitive use of contemporary technological devices is mediated more by domain-specific technology prior knowledge and by their cognitive abilities, than chronological age. This makes it extremely difficult to develop product interfaces that are entirely intuitive to use. However, by keeping in view the cognitive limitations of older people when interfaces are developed, and using simple text-based interfaces with flat interface structure, would help them intuitively learn and use complex technological products successfully during early encounter with a product. These findings indicate that it might be more pragmatic if interfaces are designed for intuitive learning rather than for intuitive use. Based on this research and the existing literature, a model for adaptable interface design as a strategy for developing intuitively learnable product interfaces was proposed. An adaptable interface can initially use a simple text only interface to help older users to learn and successfully use the new system. Over time, this can be progressively changed to a symbols-based nested interface for more efficient and intuitive use.

A hierarchical structural model of assessing innovation and project performance

Research in construction innovation highlights construction industry as having many barriers and resistance to innovations and suggests that it needs champions. A hierarchical structural model is presented, to assess the impact of the role of the project manager (PM) on the levels of innovation and project performance. The model adopts the structural equation modelling technique and uses the survey data collected from PMs and project team members working for general contractors in Singapore. The model fits well to the observed data, accounting for 24%, 37% and 49% of the variance in championing behaviour, the level of innovation and project performance, respectively. The results of this study show the importance of the championing role of PMs in construction innovation. However, in order to increase their effectiveness, such a role should be complemented by their competency and professionalism, tactical use of influence tactics, and decision authority. Moreover, senior management should provide adequate resources and a sustained support to innovation and create a conducive environment or organizational culture that nurtures and facilitates the PM’s role in the construction project as a champion of innovation.

Dynamic modeling for construction innovation

Previous research on construction innovation has commonly recognized the importance of the organizational climate and key individuals, often called “champions,” for the success of innovation. However, it rarely focuses on the role of participants at the project level and addresses the dynamics of construction innovation. This paper therefore presents a dynamic innovation model that has been developed using the concept of system dynamics. The model incorporates the influence of several individual and situational factors and highlights two critical elements that drive construction innovations: (1) normative pressure created by project managers through their championing behavior, and (2) instrumental motivation of team members facilitated by a supportive organizational climate. The model is qualified empirically, using the results of a survey of project managers and their project team members working for general contractors in Singapore, by assessing casual relationships for key model variables. Finally, the paper discusses the implications of the model structure for fostering construction innovations.

Naming or creating a problem?

In this chapter, we are going to consider how language and practice interact in the process of supporting the learning of students with diverse abilities. You will learn that it is necessary for teachers to understand that while labels carry an administrative function in schools, when used carelessly they operate to stigmatise and exclude those whom we are working to include. This chapter will introduce the concept of equity and explain how the dilemma of difference emerges when we try to determine who should receive support and how. The chapter will also explain how an appreciation of language can help to inform and transform our pedagogy. An example of inclusion in action is provided to illustrate how inclusive language in practice can promote deep cultural changes that benefit both students and teachers. The process of determining appropriate and effective education of students with additional support requirements is troubled by what some refer to as the ‘dilemma of difference’. This dilemma derives mainly from the nature of language and our need to use certain words, terms and categories in order to share common understandings. Without these, educators cannot hope to arrive on the same page, yet such words can take on a life of their own; influencing thoughts, perspectives and attitudes in ways that far outstrip original intentions. The drive for clarity, however, through definition and diagnostic classification can ultimately obscure because of the cultural meanings that become invested within these terms through their use over time and in different professional contexts. In effect, trying to define “difference” in order to provide the right support to particular students is a process that entrenches normative boundaries that in turn create, accentuate and stigmatise whatever we have decided constitutes difference. Language is thus a powerful and dangerous weapon but, like other weapons, language can both hurt and defend. Understanding the power of language enables educators to use it both wisely and safely to the maximum benefit of their students. This chapter will discuss how teachers can recognise and support their students in ways that avoid stigma and the closure of stereotyping.

What vs how : comparing students' testing and coding skills

The well-known difficulties students exhibit when learning to program are often characterised as either difficulties in understanding the problem to be solved or difficulties in devising and coding a computational solution. It would therefore be helpful to understand which of these gives students the greatest trouble. Unit testing is a mainstay of large-scale software development and maintenance. A unit test suite serves not only for acceptance testing, but is also a form of requirements specification, as exemplified by agile programming methodologies in which the tests are developed before the corresponding program code. In order to better understand students’ conceptual difficulties with programming, we conducted a series of experiments in which students were required to write both unit tests and program code for non-trivial problems. Their code and tests were then assessed separately for correctness and ‘coverage’, respectively. The results allowed us to directly compare students’ abilities to characterise a computational problem, as a unit test suite, and develop a corresponding solution, as executable code. Since understanding a problem is a pre-requisite to solving it, we expected students’ unit testing skills to be a strong predictor of their ability to successfully implement the corresponding program. Instead, however, we found that students’testing abilities lag well behind their coding skills.

Making more sustainable urban environments by responding to neurodiversity in later life

The ageing population is increasing worldwide, as are a range of chronic diseases, conditions, and physical and cognitive disabilities associated with later life. The older population is also neurologically diverse, with unique and specific challenges around mobility and engagement with the urban environment. Older people tend to interact less with cities and neighbourhoods, putting them at risk of further illnesses and co-morbidities associated with being less physically and socially active. Empirical evidence has shown that reduced access to healthcare services, health-related resources and social interaction opportunities is associated with increases in morbidity and premature mortality. While it is crucial to respond to the needs of this ageing population, there is insufficient evidence for interventions regarding their experiences of public space from the vantage point of neurodiversity. This paper provides a conceptual and methodological framework to investigate relationships between the sensory and cognitive abilities of older people, and their use and negotiation of the urban environment. The paper will refer to a case example of the city of Logan, an urban area in Queensland, Australia, where current urban development provides opportunities for the design of spaces that take experiences of neurodiversity into account. The framework will inform the development of principles for urban design for increasingly neurologically diverse populations.