Words 1: Literacy Support Level One

Subject Overview

This year-long Literacy Support elective focuses on developing your literacy skills and, in turn, your confidence as a reader, writer and presenter.   You will explore a wide variety of texts including films, short stories, graphic novels and poetry. 

This literacy support elective assists you in:   

• Being organised   

• Finding your voice and confidence   

• Ways to engage in classroom activities including speaking, listening and writing  

What’s the difference to mainstream English?

• The key is repetition – of structures needed and essay or paragraph topics.

• The same topic is used for different texts each term.

Examples of topics

• Term One Identity - You cannot belong when you are different. 

• Term two Survival – Survival is a matter of luck.

Students are shown HOW to argue for and against the topic over a number of texts.

 A focus on words and their meanings is another key area.

Content and ideas:   

Themes – each term is based on a theme:   

• Term one – Identity and Belonging – the novel Wonder, main films Wonder and Billy Elliot, short story Wei Lei and Me

• Term two – Survival and Escape – films - Touching the Void, Escape from Alcatraz, Captain Phillips  

• Term three – Mystery and Suspense – graphic novel Anya’s Ghost, The Necklace and Lamb to the Slaughter short stories.  

• Term four - Australiana – the Australian identity, film Australia, poetry, film Tracks

Typical class activities:  

• Note-taking 

• Short story writing and reading 

• Creative writing 

• Comprehension activities 

• Film viewing 

• Discussion of the big ideas and themes 

• Working with the teacher on each task 

• Word search, Crosswords, Kahoot activities 

• Extension activities for students who want a challenge 

Skills focus:  

• How to understand spelling rules and extend your vocabulary 

• How to be organised 

• How to take turns in listening and speaking 

• How to take notes effectively  

• How to write a clear sentence, well-structured paragraph and an essay 

• How to use adjectives and verbs to enhance your creative writing 

• How to develop oral responses to the big ideas and topics 

• How to compare texts and viewpoints 

• How to express your own viewpoint using text and visuals in PowerPoints 

Assessment Tasks:   

• Presenting to peers on each theme

• Creative writing based on themes and texts

• Constructing paragraphs and essays on topics related to texts studied

• Constructing a graphic ‘novel’ and visuals in narrative or persuasive structure

• Ability to maintain an organised work book with appropriate note-taking

• Ability to take turns in listening and speaking

• Remember, you can focus on your areas of interest and tasks can be negotiated 

Do this subject if: 

• You need help with organisation 

• You have great ideas but are not quite able to show these in your written work

• You are often unsure about the meaning of words and how to construct sentences, paragraphs and essays.

• You require content and learning tasks to be modified  

• You feel lost in mainstream classrooms or just need support because of previous absence from school or other issues

• You need the time to be shown HOW to complete tasks

Student testimonials

‘The teacher gives us lots of help’
‘The texts are interesting’
‘The teacher cares about how we learn’
‘I like being challenged and writing paragraphs’
‘We can help each other’
‘Everything is explained so we know what to do’ 
‘We can change the tasks to suit us’