Learning Objectives and Time Frame

     This module allows learners to explore the school neighbourhood while practicing literacy (reading and writing), numeracy and digital skills. It aligns with the LINC (Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada) program’s objectives of English language training and settlement.

Reading objectives include:

• recognizing the letters of the alphabet

• recognizing symbols and pictures 

• recognizing whole words

• understanding word and symbol meanings

• understanding numbers

The following, taken from the Canadian Language Benchmarks document, are target competencies for CLB one learners :

Getting Things Done

• Get information from very short, simple, common formatted texts (such as simple sections of forms, maps, diagrams, sales receipts, or common universal traffic signs and civic symbols)  Hajer & Kaskens, (2012).

Profile of Ability:

• The reader can recognize letters, numbers, a small number of words and very short, simple phrases related to everyday objects and immediate needs.

When the text is:

• Limited to everyday words and phrases

• Clear, sparse and very easy to read

• Supported by visual clues (e.g., pictures)

•Very short

• In non-demanding contexts

Demonstrating these strengths and limitations:

• finds a few key words and simple details

• has little ability to apply sound-symbol relationships and spelling conventions in English

• has almost no ability to decode unknown words, read connected discourse or guess the meaning of unknown words

• relies heavily on graphics and other visual clues when interpreting meaning

• relies heavily on a bilingual dictionary due to extremely limited vocabulary

The above objectives are high-interest, problem-centered for adult learners, learner-centered, allow students to learn vocabulary in context, with visual support. They help learners make connections to real world realities and structures they are reading (Coatney, 2006).

     Reading for beginner literacy learners involves learning sub-skills that may have been practiced by someone who is already literate. The following list illustrates some beginner reading skills needed to read a flashcard:

1. Recognize the line formation as a letter, distinguishing it from all other possible combinations of lines used to create symbols.

2. Recognize the lines as A.

3. Associate the name A with the symbol used to form the letter A.

4. Identify the picture on the card.

5. Recall the English word “apple.”

6. Correctly pronounce the word “apple.”

7. Use phonemic segmentation to pull the initial sound from the word apple to say /ă/.

8. Recite the sound /ă/ in isolation from the word.

9. Associate /ă/ with the letter representation A.

10. Associate /ă/ with “apple.”

11. Understand that “apple” begins with the letter A.

12. Eventually, memorize /ă/, apple, A for instant recall (Marrapodi, 2013).

The above list gives a sense of what is taking place for beginner readers. As such, teachers can scaffold and recycle the vocabulary in various practice activities based on learner needs.The time needed for this module will depend on students' backgrounds and how much literacy they are bringing. It can take up to two months for low level ESL literacy learners to be able to make connections needed to read words. This module could be done when learners have acquired some literacy, for a period of four weeks.

Digital Objectives:

1. Taking photos on a smart phone or ipad

2. Sharing photos with another

3. Using a personal computer

4. Using a mouse, a keyboard and a monitor effectively in order to navigate web pages

5. Viewing images and reading text on web pages