Language Experience Approach

Category: Language/Reading
Grade Level: Grade 1 and beyond
1. What is the purpose of the
Language Experience Approach?
The Language Experience Approach was
designed to increase oral language skills
and to build an understanding of the
need for, and processes inoled in,
written language !reading and writing"#
2. With ho! can it "e used?
$t was deeloped for use pri%arily with
beginning readers, especially in
&indergarten# $t %ay also be useful for
older children who hae English as a
second language# The Language
Experience Approach should be seen as
part of a reading progra% with the other
part consisting of syste%atic instruction
in phone%ic awareness and phonics#
#. What teaching procedures should
"e used ith the Language Experience
Approach?
The progra% was deeloped by '#
(essel and )# *ones in their book The
Language Experience Approach To
Reading: A Handbook for Teachers
!1+,1" published by Teachers -ollege
.ress#
.rocedure/
.resent the topic for discussion#
This %ight be based on a preious
field trip, as story that was read to
the class, a ideo, or so%e other
experience shared by the class#
0rite down the title on large lined
chart paper with a %arker#
Encourage careful obserations#
Elicit and extend oral language
relating to the students1 thoughts and
obserations#
Encourage students to listen and
respond to their peers1 obserations#
As the discussion occurs write down
students1 state%ents on the chart
paper, repeating what you write in
the process and %aking note of the
speaker1s na%e# )ake sure the
students attend to this process#
Read what you hae written#
The whole class reads what you hae
written#
$ndiidual readings, using a pointer
to indicate the words as the student
reads#
2ollow3up actiities#
'eelop basic skills through word
banks#
$. %n hat types of settings should the
Language Experience Approach "e
used?
This progra% was deeloped for
classroo% use, although it can be used in
s%all groups or one3to3one# The teacher
plays a role as both %odel and facilitator
of the entire process, including proiding
the actual %aterials for discussion and
follow3up#
&. 'o hat extent has research shon
the Language Experience Approach to
"e useful?
The research is generally supportie of
this approach as an enriching approach
to deeloping language skills#
(eferences
1# Allen, E# G# 4 La%inak, L# L#
!1+,5"# Language experience
reading 3 $t1s a natural# The Reading
Teacher, 35, 67,3618#
5# 9all, )# A# !1+6,"# The language
experience approach for teaching
reading: A research perspective !
nd

edition"# :rbana, $llinois/
$nternational Reading Association#
;# (essel, '# '# 4 *ones, )# <# !1+,1"#
The language experience approach
to reading: A handbook for teachers#
(ew =ork/ Teachers1 -ollege .ress#
8# Taylor, (# E#, <lu%, $# 9# 4
Logsdon, '# )# !1+,>"# The
deelop%ent of written language
awareness# Reading Research
$uarterl%, !, 1;5318+#