Communication and Literacy in the Early Years

The module develops knowledge of approaches to develop children’s communication and literacy.  Concepts relating to communication i.e. body language, cultural differences, non-verbal communication and factors influencing effective communication will be explored.  Students will consider communication through expressive arts: The Hundred Languages of Children.  Workshops examining resources and children’s work in the expressive arts (drama, dance, music and visual arts). 

Students will be introduced to linguistic terms and be able to share and increase their own metalinguistic knowledge.  Students will develop knowledge and understanding of the development of reading and writing and consider current issues relating to both.  Theoretical approaches to reading and the methods related to common practice will also be explored – early representation, symbolism, emergent writing, play and literacy learning. 

Students will consider communication in more than one language.  They will have knowledge and understanding of the research evidence on the importance of maintaining children’s home language(s).  Key drivers such as ‘Learning in 2+ Languages’ (Education Scotland, 2020) will be used to evaluate approaches used when children acquire literacy in more than one language.  The use of social and cultural events for literacy will be explored. 

At the end of this module the student will be able to:

• Critically evaluate communication skills and apply them to practice in early childhood settings
• ​​​Critically evaluate practice in relation to the use of a range of skills and techniques used to develop own and children’s communication
  
• Gain knowledge and understanding of the concept of multiple languages and understand practice to support literacy in more than one language

This is an SCQF Level 8 module and upon successful completion, participants will be awarded 20 credits.

Delivery

The module will be delivered by blended learning on Fridays: 4 weeks at Lanarkshire campus, other weeks online synchronous, times to be confirmed.

Course presenter

This module will be delivered by Robert McGill.

NOTE: This is a university module and upon approval of your application, you will be invited to register and then supported to complete enrolment. To enrol on the university system, the first step involves security set-up using the Microsoft Authenticator app; you will need to ensure that you have a compatible smartphone.

Further information is available at the Student Information Portal.

To access this module via the CPD route, individuals should be ordinarily resident in Scotland.  If you do not meet this criteria, please enquire here.

Graduate Apprenticeship

In addition to being available on a CPD basis, this module is part of our fully funded Graduate Apprenticeship - BA Early Learning and Childcare.

Developed in response to A Blueprint for 2020: The Expansion of Early Learning and Childcare (2017) and Skills Development Scotland’s Skills Investment Plan for Scotland’s Early Learning and Childcare sector (2017), the GA offers a work-based learning route to developing qualified and competent Early Learning and Childcare practitioners.

For further information, please contact apprenticeships@uws.ac.uk