Using SFL to Personalise Learning in Early Childhood Classrooms

Personalised learning is a form of instruction that tailors teaching to individual student needs. As the educational possibilities of this approach receive growing attention internationally, this begs the question of what systemic functional linguistics (SFL) might offer in personalising learning so students view language as something that empowers them to deal with real issues. This paper reports on a case study that sought to personalise learning about narrative and persuasive writing in two early childhood classrooms in a low SES school in Tasmania. Using a design-based research approach, the case study investigated whether aspects of genre pedagogy could be taught in ways that are compatible with principles of personalised learning, finding that student control over particular text features was strengthened when teachers designed learning experiences that were perceived by children as meaningful.