The Curriculum Perspective

The Tasmanian English-literacy curriculum (Department of Education, n.d.) presents a number of opportunities to integrate the strands of reading and viewing, writing and representing and speaking and listening. Firstly, the three strands are combined with thinking and using ICT to develop logical, critical, creative and reflective thinking in students. This illustration, drawn from the curriculum (DoE, n.d., p. 8), presents a visual image of how this occurs. 

Secondly, the inherent relationship between the three modes is articulated in the overview for each standard. At standard four, for example, the modes of speaking and listening and writing and representing support learning in the reading and viewing strand. In reading and viewing, students are required to ‘discuss the ways texts are designed to appeal to and position readers...’ (DoE, n.d., p. 59). This cannot occur unless a student engages in writing, speaking or listening, and to engage in an effective, coherent discussion, students must be competent in all of these areas. In their development of writing and representing, students adjust their communication according to purpose, context and audience (DoE, n.d., p. 60). Likewise, speaking and listening incorporates listening to texts read aloud and preparing talks and presentations, which requires reading and writing. 

As I demonstrated in my last post, theorists are almost unanimous in their assertion that the modes of communication cannot be separated in the teaching of literacy. A brief look at the Tasmanian English-literacy curriculum indicates that the curriculum reflects that notion. 

References:

Department of Education Tasmania (n.d.). The Tasmanian curriculum: English-literacy K-10 syllabus and support materials. Hobart, Tasmania: Author.