CHCEDS503A: Support the development of literacy skills

Descriptor: This unit deals with the skills and knowledge required by education support workers to provide high level support to students and teachers in all aspects of literacy including the ability to develop resources that will reinforce literacy skills across the curriculum
Employability Skills: This unit contains Employability Skills
Application: This unit is intended for education support workers providing assistance to students in all phases of learning who need additional support with general literacy
This unit applies to work undertaken with appropriate guidance, support and supervision by a nominated teacher or other education professional

Element	Performance Criteria
Elements define the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.	The Performance Criteria specify the level of performance required to demonstrate achievement of the Element. Terms in italics are elaborated in the Range Statement.
1. Provide opportunities to stimulate the student’s language development	1.1 Provide opportunities to listen to language that reflects the age interests and needs of the student 1.2 Use language relevant to the students culture, age, abilities, interests, and needs 1.3 Link the development of language skills to all school activities 1.4 Select resources and strategies to support language skills according to criteria established by the teacher and ensure they are appropriate for age, abilities, interests and needs
2. Implement a language support program	2.1 Provide a language program according to program specifications , and as directed by, the teacher, speech pathologist or other specialist 2.2 Model language which is appropriate to the audience, the situation, purpose and place 2.3 Use verbal and non-verbal communication methods 2.4 Maintain student confidentiality according to program/school guidelines
3. Support the student language program	3.1 Extend student competence through conversations, active listening and responding 3.2 Encourage students to express their thoughts and feelings and words 3.3 Provide opportunities for students to explore forms of non-verbal communication 3.4 Provide opportunities for students to interact with others through language 3.5 Monitor students understanding and use of language through listening and conversation to assist teachers with planning 3.6 Demonstrate the different functions of language in interactions with the student 3.7 Use explicit talk to scaffold learning
4. Assist students with specific communication needs as required	4.1 Identify specific communication needs of the student in consultation with the teacher 4.2 Use alternate communication strategies or techniquesaccording to directions from the teacher 4.3 Promote and encourage integrations and participation in class activities 4.4 Identify and use specialist assistance when required in supporting students
5. Identify what students do when they read and write	5.1 Identify the generic skills and knowledge required by students to make meaning of texts 5.2 Recognise the links between reading and writing 5.3 Identify and use various genre that may be read 5.4 Recognise reading and writing processes according to teacher specifications and the level of student ability 5.5 Select texts for specific purposes according to criteria developed by the teacher
6. Implement a reading and/or writing support program	6.1 Implement the reading and/or writing program as directed by the teacher 6.2 Keep a record of student reading and/or writing as directed by the teacher and using established systems of the education organisation 6.3 Create optimum conditions for student development of specific writing skills with guidance from teachers 6.4 Support student learning using accurate terminology as planned with teachers
7. Support student reading and/or writing program	7.1 Support individual student needs using reading support strategies including explicit talk 7.2 Implement support procedures for students according to reader program and teacher requirements 7.3 Report student reading and/or writing progress regularly to teachers as part of evaluation process 7.4 Determine support strategies to accommodate the students writing and/or reading ability according to teacher guidelines 7.5 Enhance the writing process by using the relationship between reading experiences and writing 7.6 Support students to plan their writing tasks
8. Support accurate use of spelling, grammar and punctuation	8.1 Encourage students to critically reflect on the effectiveness of their writing 8.2 Demonstrate and encourage the use of resources to provide guidance in writing 8.3 Use strategies to support the student according to teacher evaluation of student needs

Required Skills And Knowledge

This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level required for this unit.

Essential knowledge:

The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively perform task skills; task management skills; contingency management skills and job/role environment skills as outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit

These include knowledge of:

Areas of language development across the chronological periods associated with schools and other learning environments
Policy procedures and other legislation affecting performance as education support workers
Culturally based expectations about communication
Understanding of the support required by developing readers and a range of strategies that can be used to encourage independent and purposeful reading
Roles and responsibilities of education support workers and teachers in providing literacy support to students
A range of effective communication strategies for use with students and teachers
The relationship between reading and writing
How to apply appropriate strategies to develop students writing
Purpose of formative and diagnostic assessment
Genres and writing styles

Essential skills:

It is critical that the candidate demonstrate the ability to:

Stimulate students to speak, taking into account development and culture of the students
Interact in a positive and supportive manner with students
Implement a literacy support program as directed by the teacher
Identify what readers do when they read
Identify the relationship between reading and writing
Complete records accurately
Select texts appropriate to teacher and student needs
Implement writing support strategies

In addition, the candidate must be able to demonstrate relevant task skills; task management skills; contingency management skills and job/role environment skills
These include the ability to:

Implement strategies for developing comprehension and expression
Use communication strategies for students with additional needs
Demonstrate empathy and cultural sensitivity when responding to students
Manage cross cultural issues and beliefs
Complete sequence of routine tasks given direction and support from the teacher
Interpret information from written and/or oral directions
Apply problem solving to choosing appropriate responses, identifying problems, consulting with appropriate personnel
Demonstrate interpersonal communication
Use time management to support students as directed by the teacher
Use grammar, correct spelling and punctuation

Range Statement

The Range Statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Add any essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts.

Opportunities to listen to language may include:	Stories Language games Music Dramatic play Film, video, television Everyday conversations Discussions Transactions (greetings, directions, instructions)
Resources and strategies to support language skills may include:	Materials that stimulate verbal response Materials that extend understanding of vocabulary Pictures, posters and displays Books Magazines, newspaper, comic books Bilingual charts, books Interesting objects, spoken word tapes Songs Assisting with preparation of class work for students Providing technology support Provide planned level of support for tasks with the student Checking students comprehension Assist student to work at their optimal pace Repeat and/or clarify directions for students if needed Provide a summary of the lesson Provide basic instructions to the student Assist students to find appropriate research sources Support students in preparation of oral tasks Set up and prepare for practical tasks/activities Explaining school/class notices
Communication methods may include:	Verbal and written communication: phrases and jargon used by the student naming used by family or friends language suitable for the students age and level of competence informal conversations intonation language appropriate for communicating with people with learning needs and/or specific disabilities Non-verbal communication: working at the same level as the student proximity to the student eye contact facial expression care and cultural respect considerations
Opportunities for students to explore forms of non-verbal communication may include:	Mime Gestures Sign language Proximity Eye contact Body language facial expression Tone of voice
Opportunities for students to interact with others through language may include:	Reading out loud Reading texts that contain reference to familiar objects or topics Language is extended by labelling objects and then using simple sentences Respond to questions in clear simple answers Involve the student in song, rhymes, poetry, plays One on one conversations with the student Encourage students to ask questions to increase understanding Encourage participation in group discussions
Understanding and use of language may vary according to:	Student age Student stage of development The context Confirmation of understanding is monitored by using repetition Reflection is encouraged by questioning, listening and comprehension activities Humour is used and encouraged Content can be accessed from a range of sources and collated in a logical sequence Computers are used to write, edit and publish
Functions of language include:	Informative: the communication of information Expressive: reports feelings of attitudes of the writer, speaker or subject to evoke feelings in the reader Directive: language used for the purpose of causing or preventing overt actions
Explicit talk may include speaking aloud about:	Thinking processes involved in constructing communication Open ended questions about meaning and alternative ways to convey meaning Structure of a sentence Purpose of language used Effectiveness of language used Processes used to work out the spelling of words How words are broken into syllables to aid spelling Relating to the unknown Specific strategies devised for specific purposes in consultation with teachers
Scaffold learning involves providing temporary support to students to enable their progress toward independent thinking and learning It may include:	Relating new knowledge to students current knowledge Breaking new information into smaller chunks Approaching new information in a familiar way Encouraging students to concentrate on new information Providing achievable challenges Reinforcing attempts to use new information Encouraging repeated use of new information to achieve automaticity
Specific communication needs may include:	Needs related to the development stage of the student Needs related to disability Needs arising forma different first language
Specialist assistance may include:	Speech/language pathologist Advisory visiting teachers Medical personnel
Generic skills and knowledge required by students to make meaning of texts may include:	Comprehend and use the language system of the text Access the text Knowledge that specific text types have their own generic structure Understand that all texts convey information Understand that texts are created and read for specific personal, special, scientific, cultural and aesthetic purposes
Genre may include:	Literary texts Everyday texts Mass media texts
Reading and writing processes may include:	Using cues Non visual information Visual information Predicting Checking Confirming Correcting
Purposes for which readers may read may include:	Access information Enjoy specific use of words Appreciate a new perspective Confirm understanding Obtain instructions Enjoy Provoke imagination Discuss the text with others Social purposes
Record of student reading may include:	Running records Schedules Reading ages from standardised texts
Links between reading and writing may include:	Experience with various texts as a reader provides model for use as a writer Visual models of pages, paragraphs, sentences gleaned from reading various materials helps develop skills to structure own writing Reading aloud or listening to texts develops a sense of rhythm of language that can be used to test the effectiveness of own writing Effectiveness of different genres is demonstrated by reading examples of each Ways in which words are combined to make meaning are demonstrated as students construct meaning form text Exploration of the use of alternative effects such as visual images on the creation of meaning in a text
Writing resources may include:	Beginning writers record of independent writing Record of spelling words for beginning writers Record of spelling words for developing writers Annotated collection of writing samples
Resources to provide guidance may include:	Dictionary Spell checker Thesaurus Encyclopaedia Exemplar texts from a range selected by the teacher

Evidence Guide

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the Performance Criteria, Required Skills and Knowledge, the Range Statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.