Analysis of Current Policy

The structure of the National Literacy and Numeracy Framework (LNF) is displayed by using three columns that are titled ‘strand, element and aspect’. The first column is known as ‘strand’ which covers the literacy component with ‘oracy across the curriculum’, ‘reading across the curriculum’ and ‘writing across the curriculum’. Alongside the numeracy component covers ‘developing numerical reading’, ‘using number skills’, ‘using measuring skills’ and ‘using data skills’. This column is in place to display the title of the skills that should be required and implemented within lesson planning for teachers. These are then broken down into year groups to show what each individual year group are able to do involving numeracy and literacy skill, so it is simple to check what their abilities are depending on what age group is being worked with. Due to the ‘strand’ column the LNF describes that teachers are able to “develop curriculum content to ensure that all learners have opportunities to develop and refine the skills set out in the LNF” (Wales. National Literacy and Numeracy Framework, 2013) Further on then into the second column found within the LNF it is known as the ‘element’ where once again literacy and numeracy are broken into. Within this column it shows the skills provided within the age groups so that teachers can now use these as different elements that are implemented in different types of work within lesson planning. The third column is known as ‘aspect’ which covers literacy with skills relating to the first column like ‘reading strategies’, ‘listening’ and ‘speaking’. So within this column it helps relate the skills of the age groups on what they can do with those aspects during tasks at their specific age.

Throughout the columns displayed within the National Literacy and Numeracy Framework (LNF) shows progression, as it states “The columns in the LNF show how learners’ skills are refined and augmented as they progress towards the expected standards.” (Wales. Curriculum Planning Guidance, 2013) So throughout using the LNF, you are able to choose between the ages of five to fourteen depending on numeracy or literacy skills to get information of what abilities the age range of children you are working with are capable of working with. The theory that could link to this would be from Jean Piaget with his constructivist theory linking to how children learn through ages, like the skills based within the LNF. As cited by Bennet, Rogers and Wood (1997, pp. 11) it describes that Piaget’s “argument that development leads learning through clearly defined ages and stages has been interpreted to imply a reactive role for the teacher.” So this leads to how it is effective to understand that children have different development and abilities which are shown through the columns throughout the LNF. It is also possible to see the age before and the age after once you have searched the age you were looking for all on the same page, so you can see the skills that children are able to do around the age as well to fit into lesson planning to diverse some abilities due to children not all being able to work at the same ability.

The weaknesses of how the LNF were working related to there being evidence proven that the LNF was not as effective progress as expected in the literacy component as the PISA test results of 2015 shown they were at a score of 477 (OCED, 2015), then it was implemented into the Foundation Phase 2015. Linking to a theory; Dolya and Fulton (2007) discusses how “Vygotsky considered that we must view human psychological development as a social achievement rather than an individual one.” Meaning that some children may succeed in skills faster than other children, but that does not make that other child any more successful than the other. So contrasting this against the LNF, it shows that children do not always succeed in the skills provided within the broken down age groups found in the LNF and can work at their own time as they develop and succeed whilst they are still growing up, and shall just learn and experiment through play. The strengths of using the LNF is that it is set out clearly by using the three columns provided for teachers to see the skills and abilities that they can implement into lesson planning in advance in order for the framework to be successful and include more literacy and numeracy skills effectively. Another strength would be that once it was implemented into the Foundation Phase 2015, the literacy and numeracy components were more included into the seven stages of learning that are now statutory in the curriculum and used effectively in lesson planning.

 

 

 

 

 

Reference List

Bennett, N., Rogers, S. and Woods, L. (1997) Teaching Through Play: Teachers’ thinking and classroom practice. Buckingham: University.

Dolya, G. and Fulton, D. (2007) Vygotsky in action in early years: The ‘Key to Learning’ curriculum. Great Britain.

OECD (2015) Education Statistics: PISA: Programme for International Student Assessment. Available at: https://data.oecd.org/pisa/mathematics-performance-pisa.htm (Accessed: 27 March 2019)

OECD (2015) Education Statistics: PISA: Programme for International Student Assessment. Available at: https://data.oecd.org/pisa/reading-performance-pisa.htm#indicator-chart (Accessed: 27 March 2019)

Wales. WAG (2013) Curriculum Planning Guidance. [Online]. Available at: https://learning.gov.wales/docs/learningwales/publications/130124curriculumplanningguidanceen.pdf (Accessed: 27 March 2019)

Wales. WAG (2013) National Literacy and Numeracy Framework. [Online]. Available at: https://learning.gov.wales/docs/learningwales/publications/130415-lnf-guidance-en.pdf (Accessed: 27 March 2019)