The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the Performance Criteria, Required Skills and Knowledge, the Range Statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate this unit of competency:

The individual being assessed must provide evidence of specified essential knowledge as well as skills

Assessment should ensure the candidate addresses the elements and performance criteria on at least three occasions, over a period of time

Access and equity considerations:

All workers in community services should be aware of access, equity and human rights issues in relation to their own area of work

All workers should develop their ability to work in a culturally diverse environment

In recognition of particular issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, workers should be aware of cultural, historical and current issues impacting on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Assessors and trainers must take into account relevant access and equity issues, in particular relating to factors impacting on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities

Context of and specific resources for assessment:

Competency must be demonstrated in a realistic simulated or real work environment

Assessment requires access to a range of opportunities defined in the range statement, including access to:

an educational work environment or simulation to enable candidates to demonstrate their skills and knowledge while working with supervisors and learners

literacy terminology used in the role

Method of assessment:

Assessment methods suitable for valid and reliable assessment of this competency may include a combination of:

case studies

demonstration

observation

oral and written questioning

scenarios, simulation or role plays

authenticated evidence

Assessment methods should reflect work demands, such as literacy, and the needs of particular individuals, such as:

people in rural and remote locations

people with disabilities

people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

women

young people

older people

Guidance information

This unit may be assessed independently, however holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended

This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level required for this unit.

Essential knowledge:

The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the identified work role

These include knowledge and understanding of:

Definition of texts and range of texts that learners need to interpret

Key concepts of the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF) to engage in discussion with supervisor of learner levels and requirements and learning plan, including:

the five core skills

spiky profiles: varying levels of performance in each core skill

factors that may influence performance

Language and literacy concepts and terminology relevant to learner needs and context

Relationships between spoken language and literacy

Requirements of the support program, including administrative and confidentiality requirements

Risk-management strategies to negotiate sometimes complex situations and learning environments

Roles and responsibilities of those providing language and literacy support and of their supervisors

Range of basic communication and learning strategies, including techniques that:

model talk to support learner comprehension

scaffold learning and assist learners to problem solve

Tools to evaluate learning outcomes, such as the ACSF

Essential skills:

It is critical that the candidate demonstrate the ability to:

Negotiate learner language and literacy needs and program outcomes based on identified skill gaps, in consultation with supervisor and learner where appropriate

Identify, adapt, develop and use a variety of learning strategies and resources based on agreed outcomes

Support language and literacy skill development in learners

Use a range of strategies to encourage and model skill development

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Essential skills (contd):

In addition, the candidate must be able to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the identified work role

These include:

Communication skills, including:

listening skills to identify learner needs and elicit learner responses

speaking skills to model language and question effectively

writing skills to model learners' writing requirements and fulfil reporting requirements

Initiative and enterprise skills to use appropriate support strategies for diverse learner needs

Interpersonal skills to:

interact with clients from a range of social, cultural, religious and linguistic backgrounds and with varying physical and mental abilities

show respect for, and draw on, the expertise and background of the learner

Language and literacy skills to:

identify, collate and develop or adapt resources to support the development of learners' language and literacy skills

maintain and complete records, where required

Planning and organisation skills to develop, follow and evaluate learning plans

Problem-solving skills to select strategies that address learner needs

Self-management skills to:

know own limitations and set appropriate boundaries

review own practice

Teamwork skills to collaborate with supervisor to:

analyse learner needs in relation to development of language and literacy

apply appropriate model of learning to develop learners' language and literacy skills

implement support strategies appropriate to learner needs

Technical skills to:

adapt spoken language to meet the needs of individual learners and the learning program

apply key concepts of the ACSF

use a range of strategies to:

support learners in acquiring and applying language and literacy skills and knowledge

adapt or design resources that cater for individual learners

Technology skills to:

use a range of technology to support language and literacy learning

use software packages as part of the learning program

Time-management skills to plan and deliver learning programs

The Range Statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Add any essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts.

Supervisor may include:

Experienced tutor

Literacy specialist

Mentor

Identifying learner's language and literacy level may include:

Considering:

information provided in supervisor briefing

learner's educational background

psychological, social and cultural factors

Using key concepts of tools such as the ACSF and International Second Language Proficiency Rating (ISLPR), when considering:

strengths and weaknesses of learner's core skills

relevance of context, support, task and text

Factors that may inhibit the development of language and literacy skills may include:

Cultural barriers relating to ethnicity and identity, for example

Disabilities, such as acquired brain injury

Geographic factors, such as isolation

Health issues, including chronic conditions

Language barriers relating to, for example:

influence of first language on later language learning

use of standard English or non-standard English

Learning difficulties

Limited opportunities for practice

Personal barriers relating to such things as:

age

displacement issues for refugees

emotional issues

family circumstances

gender

previous formal schooling experiences

religion

social circumstances

trauma

Technology issues, such as:

lack of access

skill level

Resources may include:

Computer hardware and software

Games

Handouts and workbooks

Online and digital resources

Realia

Reference materials

Visual aids, such as photographs, displays and posters

Program requirements:

May be developed by:

the tutor

consulting with supervisor

consulting with learner

May include:

program guidelines

program resources

Aspects of communication may include:

Different contexts in which an individual uses core skills in all aspects of their lives, including:

cooperative: interacting in groups

personal : expressing identity

procedural: performing tasks

public: interacting with the wider community

systems: interacting in organisations

technical: using tools and technology

Using spoken language to effectively interact may include:

Encouraging participation in group or individual discussions and informal conversation

Using:

clear articulation and diverse intonation

books, stories and photos to stimulate recall, prediction, discussion, and vocabulary

language appropriate to learner background, culture, age, interests, needs and language level

language appropriate to the situation and purpose

realia from learner's life

Talking about language may include speaking about:

Effectiveness of language used for the chosen audience

How a word may be broken into syllables to help with spelling or meaning

Letter-sound relationships

Open-ended questioning about meaning and alternative ways to convey meaning

Processes used to:

determine meaning

work out the spelling of words

Purpose of the language used

Relating the new to the known

Structure of a sentence

Thinking processes involved in constructing communications

Texts may be drawn from many genres and include:

Everyday texts associated with a range of contexts, such as education, leisure, work, family and daily life

Literary texts appropriate to learners' interests

Mass-media texts

Strategies for supporting learners in interpreting texts may include:

Asking for learners' opinions about parts of the text

Asking learners to compare the text to other texts and their own experiences

Encouraging learners to:

analyse and criticise the text

consider the effectiveness of the text's messages

consider the genre of the text

Engaging in discussion that summarises or encourages comment about information in the text

Orientation to the text

Strategies to develop learners' skills in the use of written language may include:

Developing spelling

Helping learners to attempt unknown words

Scribing for beginning writers

Stringing sentences

Transformations for supported writing

Using a digital camera to support writing

Using temporary spelling as a tool for early writing

Written conversations

Performance features may include:

Audience

Grammar and punctuation

Legibility

Plan, proof, draft and review

Range and register

Structure and cohesion

Vocabulary and spelling

Strategies to develop performance features may include:

Deciding on audience, message and purpose

Drafting

Editing, including checking and revising

Researching specific information and references

Structuring the writing to best convey message to audience

Encouraging learners to critically reflect on their writing