Literacy Learning and Development in Theory and Practice

The overall aim of the course is that students develop in-depth knowledge of research on literacy development from early school years until late school years based on different theoretical perspectives, and of how this knowledge can be understood in a didactic perspective.

After completing the course, postgraduate students should be able to:

• show knowledge of research about connections between spoken and written language development,
• show in-depth knowledge, from different theoretical perspectives, of skills and competencies that are developed during early literacy learning as well as later literacy development,
• show familiarity with research-based theories on how reading instruction can be designed to support students’ literacy learning and development in early and later school years,
• critically review, evaluate and problematize theoretical approaches to literacy development and literacy instruction,
• discuss and problematize the assessment of students’ reading ability from different theoretical perspectives.

The course addresses research on connections between spoken and written language development. A central focus of the course is knowledge of literacy development in early and later school years, i.e., students’ development from early reading towards reading ability and reading comprehension. For this purpose, cognitiveoriented research on early reading and reading development is studied as well as research that considers reading as a social practice. The development of the research area over time is discussed. Different theoretical perspectives on learning as well as teaching in the area function as points of departure for dealing with didactically oriented questions on how reading ability can be assessed and reading and writing difficulties can be prevented.

The course is examined through oral presentations and written assignments.

Online lectures, seminars and individual assignments with applications based students’ own research projects.

The Swedish grades U–G.

The course is taught online. The language of instruction as well as for oral and written assessment is English, unless stated otherwise