Early Childhood Literacies
Undergraduate
CUR-EDE355 2025Previously CUR-EDE332
Course information for 2025 intake View information for 2024 course intake
Explore the relationship between home literacy practices and those in early childhood settings. Focus on linguistic and cultural diversity by learning to recognise children’s individual, social, and cultural ways of knowing.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Enrol by
- 25 May 2025
- Entry requirements
- Part of a degree
- Duration
- 13 weeks
- Price from
- $666
- Upfront cost
- $0
- Loan available
- HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
Early Childhood Literacies
About this subject
At the completion of this subject students will be able to:
- critique perspectives on teaching and learning of language and literacy in the early years
- interpret children’s learning in language and literacy events
- appraise the value of multi-literacies in sustaining children’s communications
- analyse the relationship between home literacy practices and the practices of early childhood settings
- design a literacy-rich environment for learning.
- Literacy acquisition in the early years
- Sharing spoken language with children birth - 5 years: Communication
- Storytelling experiences: contexts, strategies, and resources for reading
- Sound foundations for learning literacy: perspectives and approaches
- Emergent literacy: Signs, markings and writing
- Multiliteracies: Children as communicators
- Observing and listening to children: Engaging in literacy events
- Documenting children's literacy learning: Authentic assessment
- Literacy as a social practice: families, cultures and communities
- Creating literacy-enriched early childhood settings: Intentional teaching
- Transitions to primary school: communities of readers and writers
- Honouring diversity in language and literacies
This subject was previously known as EDE332 Early Childhood Literacies.
This subject is premised on an image of young children as social beings and competent communicators from birth. Students analyse theoretical perspectives underpinning teaching and learning of languages and literacy in the years from birth to age 5. Students learn approaches to establishing relationships between the literacy practices of the home and early childhood settings. The subject features a strong focus on linguistic and cultural diversity: students consider how early childhood settings can value children’s individual, social, and cultural ways of knowing to facilitate harmonious transitions and continuity of learning. Students apply observation, interpretation and assessment to documentation of children’s early communications. Students design a learning environment that enables children to access a wide range of materials and situations for communication.
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Find out more about the Academic Integrity module.
- Case Study (50%)
- Essay (50%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
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Entry requirements
Part of a degree
To enrol in this subject you must be accepted into one of the following degrees:
Core
- CUR-ECE-DEG-2025 - Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education)
Elective
- CUR-FAST-DEG-2025 - Fast track your Curtin on campus study
Prior study
You must either have successfully completed the following subject(s) before starting this subject, or currently be enrolled in the following subject(s) in a prior study period; or enrol in the following subject(s) to study prior to this subject:
one of
- CUR-EDC235-Teaching Language, Literacy and Literature in Junior Primary
CUR-EDC231 (Not currently available)
Please note that your enrolment in this subject is conditional on successful completion of these prerequisite subject(s). If you study the prerequisite subject(s) in the study period immediately prior to studying this subject, your result for the prerequisite subject(s) will not be finalised prior to the close of enrolment. In this situation, should you not complete your prerequisite subject(s) successfully you should not continue with your enrolment in this subject. If you are currently enrolled in the prerequisite subject(s) and believe you may not complete these all successfully, it is your responsibility to reschedule your study of this subject to give you time to re-attempt the prerequisite subject(s).
Equivalent subjects
You should not enrol in this subject if you have successfully completed any of the following subject(s) because they are considered academically equivalent:
CUR-EDE332 (Not currently available)
Others
You don't have to enrol in this subject if you have completed EDE106 Language and Multiliteracies (Birth-5 years) as they are considered equivalents.
Additional requirements
No additional requirements
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.
Related degrees
Once you’ve completed this subject it can be credited towards one of the following courses
Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education)
Undergraduate
CUR-ECE-DEGFast track your Curtin on campus study
Undergraduate
CUR-FAST-DEG