6.1 Functional Literacy Pedagogy: An Overview

Summary

The session delves into functional literacy, an educational approach focusing on the types of texts schools use for teaching and evaluating students. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the purpose and structure of texts for effective communication. The pedagogy, influenced by Michael Halliday and others, contrasts with didactic methods by starting with the text's purpose rather than breaking down language. It encourages students to distinguish text types by purpose and structure, fostering a deeper understanding of meaning in various contexts such as news, fables, recipes, and scientific reports.

Takeaways

• 📚 Functional literacy focuses on the types of texts used in schools for teaching and evaluating students, as well as texts needed for communication in the broader world.
• 🛠️ The approach is rooted in the work of Michael Halliday and has evolved into the multiliteracies approach, emphasizing learning the genres of school success and social power.
• 🔍 Unlike didactic pedagogy, functional literacy starts with the purpose of the text and its structure, rather than breaking down language into parts.
• 📝 It is about being explicit about the genres and their purposes, which is different from dactic pedagogy that may not always provide a full picture.
• 🤔 Functional literacy encourages students to understand the reason why texts exist and how the reasons shape the text's design or structure.
• 📑 Examples of different text types include news articles, fables, recipes, and science reports, each with unique structures and purposes.
• 🏫 In the classroom, functional literacy involves analyzing the writing of various subjects, such as how historians, scientists, journalists, and doctors write.
• 🔑 The curriculum is organized around models of these types of writing, developing frameworks for students to reproduce them.
• 🔄 The process involves cycles of directed modeling, teacher-guided joint constructions, and scaffolding for independent writing, starting with the text's purpose and structure.
• 🔑 Writing and learning are linked in this framework, where school writing prepares learners for real-world writing purposes beyond the classroom.
• 🌐 Functional literacy pedagogy is not limited to English language arts but is relevant across subjects, including science, English, and history, where different forms of knowledge representation are taught.

Q & A

What is the main focus of functional literacy in learning to read and write?

Functional literacy focuses on the types of texts that schools use to teach and evaluate students, as well as the texts that students need to communicate with the broader world for successful functioning in making and understanding meaning across various sources.

How does functional literacy pedagogy differ from other approaches in the history of literacy pedagogy?

Functional literacy pedagogy differs by emphasizing the purpose and structure of texts, rather than breaking down language into parts or focusing solely on the content of specific subjects.

Who are some key figures associated with the development of functional literacy pedagogy?

Key figures include Michael Halliday, a professor of linguistics at City University, Jim Martin, and Mary. Their work has influenced the development of the multiliteracies approach.

What is the starting point for teaching in functional literacy pedagogy?

Teaching in functional literacy pedagogy starts with the purpose of the text and how the text varies because of different purposes, beginning with the whole text and its purpose.

How does functional literacy pedagogy approach the teaching of different text types?

It teaches students to distinguish different types of texts based on purpose and to understand the differences in structure and how meaning is linked to the text's organization.

What are some examples of different types of texts mentioned in the script?

Examples include a news article, a fable, a recipe, and a science report, each with distinct purposes and structures.

What is the role of content in the functional literacy approach when teachers are involved?

The content in the functional literacy approach involves the writing of subjects, examining how different disciplines such as historians, scientists, journalists, and doctors write and the types of texts they produce.

How is the curriculum organized in functional literacy pedagogy?

The curriculum is organized around models of different types of writing, developing frameworks that enable students to reproduce them, focusing on the discipline-appropriate writing.

What kind of activities are involved in structural activity within functional literacy pedagogy?

Activities include cycles of directed modeling, teacher-guided joint constructions based on the model's framework, and scaffolding for independent writing, starting with the purpose and structure of the text.

What is the link between writing and learning in the functional literacy framework?

The link is that the writing taught in schools is meant to prepare learners for real-world writing purposes beyond the classroom, focusing on powerful texts that represent knowledge in various subject areas.

How does functional literacy pedagogy work in terms of teaching students to create texts?

It works by presenting a model text, deconstructing it as a class to understand its components, jointly constructing a text with teacher guidance, and eventually enabling students to independently create their own texts.