The 9-step literacy walk framework provides a structured process for conducting classroom observations to improve literacy teaching and learning. The framework involves preparing teachers, conducting classroom visits with a small team, discussing observations, and providing feedback. The purpose is to identify effective practices, areas for development, and support teacher growth through collaborative reflection.

1. 9 Steps in a
Learning Literacy Walk
Framework
What is a Literacy Walk?
Literacy walks are a series of organised, highly structured
collaborative short visits by colleagues into active classrooms.
They identify evidence of progress and areas for development for
a school or group of teachers.
• A literacy walk is designed to assist in ‘coaching’ for improved
literacy practice in the classroom
• It is a ‘snapshot’ of classroom literacy practice
• It helps to collect real data/evidence for improving literacy
teaching, professional learning and overall school
improvement planning
• It is to be constructive, not judgemental
• It is aimed at helping teacher/teams and schools understand
more about how teachers teach, learners’ learn and what gets
taught to whom.
Why do a Literacy Walk?
• Stimulates collegial conversation through questions
• Gathering of data
• Deepen understandings and practices through feedback
• Learn from and with each other
• Reinforce attention to a teaching and learning focus
• Observe different teaching styles.
Getting Along – Confidence – Resilience – Organisation –
Persistence

2. The Purpose of a Literacy Walk
• To observe the tangible impact that the coaching has had on
the classrooms and to explore together the impact and
effectiveness of teaching and learning strategies implemented
within the school
• to confirm that classroom data supports the school literacy
focus
• To learn, innovate and enquire into collective practices
• To practise enquiry-based learning and leadership
• To give teachers feedback about positive practices observed.
• To create the opportunities for multiple insights into
classroom practice
• To emphasis good classroom practice with a practical
approach to building capacity and school improvement
• To provide a powerful vehicle for allowing knowledge to travel
across and throughout a school
• to make visible pockets of excellence or expertise, and to
highlight joint areas for development and cross school enquiry
• To provide a cost-effective way of generating data that is
both formative and useful
• Above all, Literacy Learning Walks enable groups of
individuals to work together to develop an understanding of
what a successful school looks like in practice. Pupil and adult
learners can contribute equally to an investigation of how
innovation is making a difference in the classroom.

3. Who goes on a Literacy Walk?
DEECD statistics estimate that a principal spends his/her time as
follows:
Admin Area 65%
Hallways/grounds17%
Off Site 11%
In Classrooms 7%
A Literacy Walk allows time for the principal to be back in the
classroom.
• Maximum of 4 walkers (3 is ideal)
• One of these walkers to act as timekeeper.
• A lead walker (principal/literacy specialist/literacy coordinator)
Only one literacy team can be walking in a school at a time.
Suggested Time Allowance for a Literacy Walk:
Establishing a team and roster
Agree on a Focus
Prepare for walk 10 mins
Literacy Walk 10 mins per classroom
Debrief 10 – 15 mins
Feedback to colleague’s 10 – 15 mins

4. The 9 Step Literacy Learning Walk
Protocol
1. Preparing whole staff for a Literacy Learning Walk:
• Everyone understands the rational for a Literacy
Learning Walk whether directly or indirectly involved
• Everyone understands that they are learning from, with
and on behalf of others
• Everyone understands that not one individual is under
scrutiny during the process
• Everyone understands it is not a personal judgement or
evaluation of teachers, students and or leaders
• Everyone understands the following points need to be
decided upon prior to the walk
 Prepare date and time of literacy walks
 Decide on leaders/walkers and classrooms to be
visited
 Make sure all staff are given copies of above 3
items
 Distribute copies of note taking forms that walkers
will be using
 Inform staff that taking notes will help provide
collective feedback.
2. Preparing the team of walkers
• Discuss a climate of trust , openness and confidentiality
within the walkers
• Discuss the ‘focus’ for the visit
• Ensure all walkers are aware of time and classrooms to
be visited
• Ensure all walkers have note taking forms
• Discuss type of questions to be asked
• Reminder to observe classroom, students and teachers
• Only talking to students.

5. 3. Pre Walk Briefing
Day of walk, immediately before visit
• Discuss ‘focus’ for visit
• Walkers discuss what would be reasonable to see in a
classroom
• Generating questions
• Distinguishing between citing evidence and making
unwarranted judgements
• Distribute note taking forms
• Discuss what is to be written on the notes
• What evidence and data could be collected
• Time keeper to keep an eye on the time in class.
4. Classroom visits
• Walkers spend 10-15 mins in a classroom
• Walkers observe both teachers and students
• Discussions with students and teachers
• Examination of displays
• Examination of resources
• Study of students work
• Remember the ‘focus’ of the group
• Record observations
• Gather evidence from 4 resources (classroom
environment, talk with students, analysis of student’s
work and discussion/observation of teacher).
5) Talking with teachers
• Walkers don’t always need to talk to teachers
• Some schools have no interaction with the teacher
• Avoid interrupting direct teaching
• Ask if a teacher is able to talk
• If a teacher talks about how she is translating
professional development into practice – leave this
discussion for later
• What questions might you ask the teacher
*Where does this snapshot fit in the bigger
picture?
*What preceded this snapshot?
*How are you assessing students in this lesson?
*How will you know that the students understand
content ideas?

6. 6) Talking with students
• Look at how the students are learning
• Ask the student where they can go for help in their
learning
• Ask the student what they are learning and why they
need to know that
• Ask students how they can make their work better
• Ask the students to talk about what they are learning
• Walkers should talk to a variety of students by gender,
ethnicity, level of engagement etc.
7) Corridor Talk
• After the visit of each classroom the team gathers in the
corridor to discuss the evidence they have gathered
• They only discuss what they observed
e.g. what student’s where learning?
How the teacher assisted that learning?
Student’s response to questions etc
What tools were used by the teacher when working with
the students?
• Suggest questions that they might ask the teacher to
learn more about what was happening in the class
• All team members share
• By gathering everyone’s evidence the big picture can be
seen.
8) Debrief
• At end of classroom visits walkers meet for a debriefing
session
• Evidence is reviewed and thought provoking questions
asked
• Look for patterns that might have emerged from several
classrooms
• Each person reviews their own notes
• Each person prepares observations and a list of
evidence they collected on the walk
• Each walker prepares one thought provoking question
• Walkers take it in turn to present their findings
• How can the literacy walk support the next step for the
school.

7. 9) Feedback to colleagues
• It is preferable to give feedback to colleagues’ on the
day
(no later than 5 days)
• The feedback can be a formal or informal meeting or a
‘thankyou’ letter
• Discussions will arise from observations
• A literacy newsletter outlining positive practice could be
distributed across the school omitting names or any
specific information.
Behavioural Norms in a classroom
Walkers refrain from making judgement
Walkers disrupt learning as little as possible
If walkers aren’t from school they need to wear name tags
Stick to the agreed focus for the walk
Walkers should respect the learning community
Examine class displays
Have discussions with students
Examine classroom resources
Look at student’s work
Move around so as not to disturb learning
Avoid interrupting direct teaching
Before starting a conversation with a teacher ask is she/he is able
to talk
Possible Focus for a Literacy Walk ( In Teacher’s Hands)
Participation - Attention –Engagement –Stimulation –Pleasure
--Consistency
Knowledge - Environment - Purpose – Substance -
Explanations – Modelling
- Metalanguage
Orchestration - Awareness – Structure - Flexibility – Pace -
Transition
Support - Assessment – Scaffolding – Feedback -
Responsiveness - Explicitness - Persistence
Differentiation - Challenge - Individualisation – Inclusion –
Variation – Connection
Respect – Warmth - Rapport – Credibility – Citizenship -
Interdependence

8. Getting Along
*Suspend Judgement
*Communicate Respectfully
*Accept where others are at Confidence
*Respect confidentiality
*Look for positives only
*Allow and give no put downs
Organisation
*Look but try not to Resilience
intrude *Reflect on what you see
*Make balance *Think of constructive
observations feedback only
*All notes taken are *Use evidence and examples
confidential
Persistence
*Always act with integrity
*Co-operate in good faith
*Look for what is going well

9. 9 STEP LEARNING LITERACY WALK
FRAMEWORK
Feedback to
colleagues
Prepare
Debrief Whole Staff
Prepare
Corridor 9 Step
team of
Talk
walkers
Literacy
Learning
Walk
Talking with
Pre Walk
students Brief
Talking with Classroom
teacher visit

11. Literacy Learning Walk Roster
Date Focus ‘Walkers’
9 – 10 am

12. Collegial Sharing of a Literacy Walk
A big thankyou to all teachers for their participation in our latest Literacy Walk.
We observed considerable teacher and student knowledge and felt some valuable
literacy learning was being created. Through these Literacy Walks we are really
seeing just how much effort and time is going into learning at our school. We look
forward to our Next Literacy Walk.
What we SAW…….. What we HEARD What we FELT ………
……….
• Students working • Teachers • Activities had been extended over several
independently at tables explaining days
• Computers being used to language in books • Students always had something worthwhile
display and using examples to work on
demonstrate • Students reading • Students were supported even when
knowledge together teacher was working with other groups
• Teachers roaming • Students sharing • Early finishers were challenged
around classrooms their knowledge
ensuring all students are with others • Different abilities were catered for
on task • Clear and simple • Teachers clearly had an extensive
• Picture prompts explanation of knowledge of their students
displayed for writing tasks and activities • Students knew the purpose of tasks and
• Groups working on • Teachers praising lessons
different activities good work • Teachers had a good understanding of
• Diagrams used to help • Deep literacy learning
explain concepts conversations • Students were showing teacher and the
• Task boards used as showing a class what they could do and what they
visual prompt for group detailed knew
activities knowledge of the
book being read
• Different activities
happening all over the • Teacher giving
classroom feedback and
ideas to students
• Teacher modelling skills
• Teacher and
• Teacher correcting students reading
work with student and together
providing feedback to
student • Students asking
good questions
• Range of texts used –
Eg – newspapers • Teachers
displaying their
• Language and words knowledge of
displayed around what effective
classrooms readers do
• Hands on materials • Students talking
and resources used about what they
• Students working all had done well
over the classroom in • Teacher
different locations encouraging
• Shared writing – where students to ‘have
both the teacher and a go’ when unsure
students are actively • Linking of lessons
involved to previous lessons
• All students had a
copy of the text
• Pairing of stronger and
weaker students – to
ensure success
• Teacher working in close

13. proximity to students
Linking The 9 Step Literacy Walk with Principles of Learning
and Teaching
POLT
1. The learning environment is supportive and productive.
In learning environments that reflect this principle the
teacher:
o 1.1 builds positive relationships through knowing and
valuing each student
o 1.2 promotes a culture of value and respect for
individuals and their communities
o 1.3 uses strategies that promote students' self-
confidence and willingness to take risks with their
learning
o 1.4 ensures each student experiences success through
structured support, the valuing of effort, and recognition
of their work.
2. The learning environment promotes independence,
interdependence and self motivation.
In learning environments that reflect this principle the
teacher:
o 2.1 encourages and supports students to take
responsibility for their learning
o 2.2 uses strategies that build skills of productive
collaboration.
3. Students' needs, backgrounds, perspectives and interests are
reflected in the learning program.
In learning environments that reflect this principle the
teacher:
o 3.1 uses strategies that are flexible and
responsive to the values, needs and interests of
individual students
o 3.2 uses a range of strategies that support the
different ways of thinking and learning

14. o 3.3 builds on students' prior experiences,
knowledge and skills
o 3.4 capitalises on students' experience of a technology
rich world
4. Students are challenged and supported to develop deep levels
of thinking and application.
In learning environments that reflect this principle the
teacher:
o 4.1 plans sequences to promote sustained
learning that builds over time and emphasises
connections between ideas
o 4.2 promotes substantive discussion of ideas
o 4.3 emphasises the quality of learning with high
expectations of achievement
o 4.4 uses strategies that challenge and support
students to question and reflect
o 4.5 uses strategies to develop investigating and
problem solving skills
o 4.6 uses strategies to foster imagination and
creativity.
5. Assessment practices are an integral part of teaching and
learning.
In learning environments that reflect this principle the
teacher:
o 5.1 designs assessment practices that reflect the full
range of learning program objectives
o 5.2 ensures that students receive frequent
constructive feedback that supports further
learning
o 5.3 makes assessment criteria explicit
o 5.4 uses assessment practices that encourage
reflection and self assessment
o 5.5 uses evidence from assessment to inform planning
and teaching
6. Learning connects strongly with communities and practice
beyond the classroom.

15. In learning environments that reflect this principle the
teacher:
o 6.1 supports students to engage with
contemporary knowledge and practice
o 6.2 plans for students to interact with local and broader
communities and community practices
o 6.3 uses technologies in ways that reflect professional
and community practices.
The NMR
9 Step Learning
Literacy Walk
Framework
Prepared by

16. The NMR Regional Literacy
Specialist Team
2008

17. Linking the 9 Step Literacy Walk
Framework with the education of
tomorrow.
Links with Links with The Links with John Links with
POLT: Blueprint Munro HRLTs: Action Zones:
Strategy: