472-220 Language Literacy & Numeracy Development

Child language, symbolic and literacy development and the role of language in early literacy and numeracy will be studied. The interactional processes that facilitate this development will be emphasised. Explanations of language development will be explored with reference to theories such as learning theory, nativist theory, social interactional theories and their more recent modifications. A study of alternative views of the development of number awareness and numeracy competence with reference to different curriculum approaches to numeracy. The relationship between the development of meta-cognitive/meta-linguistic competence and literacy/numeracy competence will be explored. Topics to be covered include the child's developing phonological, syntactic, semantic, pragmatic and orthographic awareness; the role of the family in literacy development; and the development of representational abilities and inter-generational literacy.

A 2-hour examination and a 2000 word essay.

• A Garton and C Pratt, Learning to be Literate; The Development of Spoken and Written Language. (2nd edn), Basil Blackwell, 1997.