LANGUAGE EXPERIENCE APPROACH

Sylvia Ashton-Warner

Adult Learners vs. Child Learners

Why LEA?Emergent & Beginning Readers and

it works well with English Language Learners

Uses words and concepts that students are familiar with

. . . SO, how do we do LEA???

Writing: The teacher asks the student about an experience and writes down what the student says, sounding out the words as you write them.

Riding a Motorcycle

Building an Addition on a House

journeys4good.com

Making a Cake

The teacher then reads the sentences to the student, slowly and deliberately.

ldaamerica.org

The teacher reads 1 sentence and the student then reads the same sentence. They continue until the story is read.

Student rereads sentences until they can do it fluently, usually 2-3 times. You want the student to be successful and not be frustrated.

Save the sentences to reread on another day.

Listening, speaking

Reading, Comprehending

It’s all integrated!

Demonstration of the Process

The teacher asks the student about an experience and discusses the experience with him/her.

The teacher writes down what the student says, 1 sentence at a time, sounding out the words as you write them.

The teacher slowly reads all sentences to the student, making sure he/she wrote them down as the student said.

The teacher reads the first sentence, and then the student reads the first sentence.

Student rereads all sentences until they can do it fluently, usually 2-3 times.

Now You Try It . . .

Phonics Have the student look at the sentences and

ask if there are any he/she wants to study more. Have student underline those words in the sentences (usually about 4 or so).

Next, the student rewrites the words on small cards. The student reads the first word, and then places it under the word in the story. Then remove the card.

Repeat with the next card and so forth. Lastly have the student read from the cards

again. Shuffle the card and have students reread the

cards.

Short Vowel and Long Vowel Sounds

Ask the student to find words with short vowel sounds from their sentences and have them point to the word as student says it.

Ask student to find words with long vowel sounds and have student point to the word as he/she says it.

Other Ideas

Part 3: Add a picture Google Images? PhotosforClass.com? This could be done another day as a

different activity. Have the student describe the photo and go through the process, creating more sentences.

Picture Promptshttp://www.slideshare.net/ke

vcummins/150-amazing-writing-prompts-pictures

Switch roles as the “teacher” and “student.” Go to the above website and let the student pick a photo to describe or tell a story about. WRITE DOWN THE NUMBER OF YOUR PHOTO. Have at least 5 sentences. The teacher will write the story on paper. Be funny if you want!

Sharing Students share your story with other

members of the table by reading it. Pick 1 story from your table to share

with the whole group.

Video Prompthttp://www.nytimes.com/video/op-docs

Entire class (or can be done individually) watches a short video clip

The teacher asks students what they saw in the video.

The teacher writes down what the students say (on a easel or document camera if in a large group).

Students then copy the descriptions on paper to reinforce the words. Have students read the sentences 1 line at a time.

Further enrichment Next, cut the sentences into pieces and

put them back in order.

Imagining Dialogue Show students a trailer from a movie

scene (or any part of a video) with the sound muted and have them imagine what a character is saying.

Let’s try it: http://www.nytimes.com/video/movies/100000001378798/scene-stealers-uggie-and-cosmo.html

The student will dictate to your teacher/ partner what the dog is thinking or would be saying.

Using Popular Music http://lyricstraining.com/