English / Foundation / Language / Text structure and organisation

Curriculum content descriptions

Understand that some language in written texts is unlike everyday spoken language (ACELA1431)

Elaborations
  • learning that written text in Standard Australian English has conventions about words, spaces between words, layout on the page and consistent spelling because it has to communicate when the speaker/writer is not present
General capabilities
  • Literacy Literacy
ScOT terms

Text types,  Spoken texts,  Register (Language)

Online

Focused Improvement in Early Literacy Development (FIELD)

This teacher resource describes an evidence-based strategy in which eight disadvantaged metropolitan schools and 12 remote schools in Western Australia assessed the oral English language and emergent literacy development of their pre-primary (Foundation) students, and used that data to inform explicit teaching of English ...

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Hey diddle diddle' sung by Teddy Rock

Watch and listen as Buzz, Belle and Bop perform 'Hey diddle diddle' in this animated music video. Then try to create your own sentences that include pairs of words that sound the same at the end (rhyme).

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Listening for rhythm with author Tony Wilson

Tony Wilson says that listening to rhyming books is like listening to music. How are they similar? Read a rhyming book out loud or ask someone to read one to you, and see if you can hear the rhythm. Can you clap along to it? Think about rhythm when you write your next story. Can you write something that has a beat?

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Learn a Dhurga greeting

Walawaani! Learn this Dhurga greeting by listening to teacher Kerry Boyenga and the students of St Mary's Primary School in Moruya. Walawaani means "We hope you've had a safe journey here", or "We hope you have a safe journey home". Dhurga is the first language of the NSW far south coast between Wandandean, Braidwood and ...

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Say hello in Dharug

Watch this video to learn how to greet someone in the Dharug language, spoken by the Indigenous people of the Sydney Basin area. How do you say 'hello, how are you?' in Dharug? And what are the words for good and bad? Practise these phrases with Jacinta Tobin and then teach them to a friend or family member.

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Changing ideas and discovering themes in stories

Have you ever started out with an idea for a story and later realised you wanted to change it? You're not the only one! In fact, changing your mind is all part of the process of writing. Listen as author Tony Wilson explains how the idea for his book 'The Cow Tripped over the Moon' changed over time. What was his initial ...

Video

Gubuluk

Listen as Anne Gela tells the story of "Gubuluk". Anne is a Mualgal woman from the St Paul community of Moa Island, which is in the inner-west Torres Strait group of islands. Can you find Moa Island on a map? Anne speaks Big Thap Creole/Yumplatok.

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Developing characters with Leigh Hobbs

How can drawings of characters give readers clues about who they are? What are some of the clues Leigh Hobbs gives us about Old Tom's character through his drawings of him? Do you have a character in your head that you've been thinking about for a while? As you draw or write about your character, remember what Leigh says ...

Interactive

Jumbled Sentences 7 - iTunes app

Learn to construct sentences by dragging jumbled words into place. You can turn on sound to hear each word spoken and hear your completed sentences read to you. With each successful sentence, you earn virtual coins to buy virtual stickers for your collection. This is one of a series of nine apps. Free when reviewed 6/6/15.

Online

Literacy and Numeracy Pilot in low SES school communities

This teacher resource describes a pilot implemented in 76 public schools in Victoria, including primary, P-12, and secondary schools in two rural and regional and two metropolitan clusters. The pilot aimed to improve the literacy and numeracy of students in low socioeconomic status communities. This included new arrivals, ...

Online

The impact of innovative whole-class language strategies on language development

This teacher resource describes the successful language strategy developed by Mahogany Rise Primary School in Victoria. The strategy was introduced in the first year of schooling in response to more than 90 per cent of the children having language delays or impairments. The resource is organised in nine sections: Summary, ...

Online

Coaching Initiatives

This teacher resource describes the success and wider applicability of coaching strategies implemented in government primary and secondary schools in Victoria. Organised in nine sections: Summary; Target student group; Method; Results; Next steps; Lessons learned; Research base; Further reading and links; and Contacts, ...

Online

Books in Homes Primary Programme

This teacher resource is about the Books in Homes Primary Programme, in which students in low socioeconomic status schools with limited access to books at home are provided with nine books of their choice per year. There are ten sections: Summary; Target student group; Method; Measures; Results; Lessons learned; Next steps; ...

Interactive

My design: talking cat: choose text

Design a talking cat to present at show and tell. Create your cat by selecting from a range of elements such as mood, size and colour. Choose a voice and background picture for your cat. Decide on a name that suits your talking cat. Select a note about your cat. Watch the animation. Change your design as many times as you ...

Online

Four-dimensional coaching support for teachers of literacy and numeracy

This is a teacher resource describing a collaborative model of whole-school change to build teacher capacity and improve student outcomes in literacy and numeracy implemented in 45 Catholic primary schools (F-7) in South Australia. Organised in nine sections: Summary; Target student group; Method; Results; Next steps; Lessons ...

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Language, Literacy and Learning Two-Way: teaching Aboriginal EAL/D students in the early years

This teacher resource describes the Two-Way early childhood professional learning course implemented in Western Australian Aboriginal focus schools, public, Catholic and independent schools to increase opportunities for Aboriginal students who speak English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D) to acquire language, ...

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Creating change as a literacy coach

This teacher resource describes how a literacy coach made a substantial difference to students' literacy achievements, teachers' involvement in literacy strategies and whole-school culture at Allendale East Area School in South Australia. Organised in nine sections: Summary; Target student group; Method; Results; Lessons ...

Online

Successful language learners: whole-school ESL language and literacy practices

This teacher resource describes the Successful Language Learners Whole-school ESL Language and Literacy (SLL) strategy implemented in 11 Sydney metropolitan public and Catholic schools. The strategy met the needs of ESL students, particularly refugee students, newly arrived students with little or no English language skills, ...

Online

Language, learning and literacy in the early years

This teacher resource describes the Language, Learning and Literacy (L3) program implemented in New South Wales public schools to address early disparities in children's language, reading and writing. Organised in nine sections: Summary; Target student group; Method; Results; Next steps; Lessons learned; Research base; ...

Interactive

My design: talking cat: create own text

Design a talking cat to present at show and tell. Create your cat by selecting from a range of elements such as mood, size and colour. Choose a voice and background picture for your cat. Decide on a name that suits your talking cat. Add a note about your cat. Watch the animation. You can change your design as many times ...