Teaching Literacy: Understanding Readers and Reading
| Module title | Teaching Literacy: Understanding Readers and Reading |
|---|---|
| Module code | EFPM377Z |
| Academic year | 2025/6 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff | Professor Fiona Maine (Convenor) Dr Clare Dowdall (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 15 |
|---|
Module description
Both socially and educationally, reading is a core and transferable skill across the curriculum, as well as a domain-specific activity in the first language curriculum. In our lives beyond formal education, reading helps us to understand ourselves and our world: as William Nicholson famously said, ‘We read to know we are not alone’. In this module you will address the learning and teaching of reading, with a particular emphasis on reading comprehension and the strategies needed to be a successful reader. You will also have space for reading children’s literature from picture books for pre-readers through to teen fiction and crossover fiction.
Module aims - intentions of the module
The principal aim of this module is to enable you to develop a stronger theoretical understanding of reading and the teaching of reading which will have a direct impact on your own professional practices and on your familiarity and understanding of a wide range of literature for children.
Specifically, the module aims to address the following questions:
• What is the difference between decoding and comprehension?
• What do we know about reading comprehension and different levels of understanding?
• What are comprehension strategies?
• What is the relationship between text and image in picture books?
• What is the range of books available to junior and adolescent readers?
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. demonstrate a critical understanding of reading comprehension
- 2. critically evaluate different disciplinary perspectives of models of reading
- 3. demonstrate a critical understanding of literature written for children
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. consider and critically reflect on ideas concerning the relationship between educational theory, research, policy and practice
- 5. critically reflect upon and evaluate your own understanding of current issues and debates in education and those of others
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. synthesise and organise ideas to present an argument;
- 7. present ideas and engage in critical reflective debate
- 8. undertake both directed and independent study to recognise, justify and analyse key ideas in the literature and relate these to research, theory, policy and practice
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover the following topics:
• Early reading and the complementary roles of phonics and comprehension
• Development in reading comprehension
• Comprehension strategies and the difference between cognitive and metacognitive strategies
• Literature written for children and young people
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 48 | 252 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 48 | 12 x 4 hours per week |
| Guided independent study | 48 | Preparatory work for online learning (including reading; research tasks; collaborative tasks) |
| Guided independent study | 104 | Completion of directed study tasks integral to online learning. |
| Guided independent study | 20 | Completion of formative assignment tasks |
| Guided independent study | 80 | Completion of summative assignment tasks |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical response which synthesises literature on a topic related to reading | 1500 words | 1, 4, 5, 6, 7 | Written |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay (Composed of critical evaluation/ illustrative annotated Powerpoint) | 90 | 4000 words (Critical evaluation 3500 words/ illustrative annotated Powerpoint 500 words) | 1-8 | Written and grade |
| Engagement log | 10 | 500 words | 8 | Written and grade |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay (Critical evaluation 3500 words / illustrative annotated PowerPoint 500 words) | Essay (Critical evaluation 3500 words / illustrative annotated PowerPoint 500 words) | 1-8 | 8 weeks |
| Engagement log | Engagement log replacement activity (500 words) | 8 | 8 weeks |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Basic reading:
- Cremin, T. Hendry, H. Rodriguez Leon, L. & Kucirkova, N. (2022) Reading Teachers: Nurturing Reading for Pleasure. Routledge.
- Cremin, T., Mottram, M., Collins, F., Powell. S., and Safford, K. (2014) Building Communities of Engaged Readers. Routledge.
- Hempel-Jorgensen, Amelia; Cremin, Teresa; Harris, Diane and Chamberlain, Liz (2017). Understanding boys (dis)engagement with reading for pleasure: Project findings. The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK.
- Clark, C (2013) Children's and Young People's Reading in 2012: Findings from the 2012 Annual Literacy Survey London: National Literacy Trust
- Harrison, C. (2004) Understanding Reading Development. London: Sage
- Stuart, M., Stainthorp, R. and Snowling, M. (2008) Literacy as a complex activity: deconstructing the simple view of reading. Literacy, 42, 59-66.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 15 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | Yes |
| Origin date | 31/03/2025 |
| Last revision date | 15/04/2025 |