Learn evidence-based skills for teaching phonics to young children

Intentionally and explicitly teaching the relationship between letters and sounds through play-based pedagogies is a crucial part of children’s literacy development. There is much popular debate surrounding this topic, amongst researchers, teachers, parents and education authorities. This course will share research-based knowledge and skills around code-based literacy in early childhood.

What topics will you cover?

What is code-related literacy?
What is phonics?
Why is phonics important in early childhood settings?
What are some evidence-based strategies for teaching phonics?

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and learn at your own pace. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

Available now

Learning on this course

You can take this self-guided course and learn at your own pace. On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

Describe code-related literacy, including phonics, phonemic awareness and phonological awareness
Explain why teaching and learning code-related literacy is important
Identify an appropriate strategy for teaching code-related literacy in early childhood settings

Who is the course for?

This is a general, introductory course aimed at anyone supporting children to prepare for school, including parents, educators and workers in early childhood education and care (ECEC), centre directors, early primary school teachers, and education leaders.

For Australian educators, this course aligns with the following Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST):

Know the content and how to teach it
- 2.1, 2.5
Engage in professional learning
- 6.1, 6.2, 6.3
Engage professionally with colleagues
- 7.4

For Australian educators in before-school settings, this course aligns with the following National Quality Standard (NQS):

Quality Area 1 – Educational program and practice
- Element 1.2.1 Intentional teaching: educators are deliberate, purposeful, and thoughtful in their decisions and actions.
- Element 1.2.2 Response teaching and scaffolding: Educators respond to children’s ideas and play and extend children’s learning through open-ended questions, interactions and feedback.

Who will you learn with?

Stacey Campbell

Early childhood literacy lecturer in the Faculty of Education at QUT. I am an experienced teacher whose research explores code-related literacy, phonics, and teachers’ beliefs and practices.

Who developed the course?

Queensland University of Technology

QUT is a leading Australian university ranked in the top 1% of universities worldwide by the 2019 Times Higher Education World University Rankings. Located in Brisbane, it attracts over 50,000 students.

Established
1989
Location
Brisbane, Australia
World ranking
Top 180Source: Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2019

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps, but you can complete them as quickly or slowly as you like
Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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