Language+Experience+Approach+(LEA)

The **Language Experience Approach (LEA)** is an approach to reading instruction based on activities and stories developed from personal experiences of the learner.

__**Benefits:**__ There are several benefits of the Language Experience Approach:
 * It integrates writing, reading, art, and language.
 * It extends the learners' creativity in storytelling through writing.
 * It helps learners understand that what they think and say can be written.
 * It is //learner-centered// and demonstrates that the learners' thoughts and language are valued.
 * It provides reading material that is predictable and readable because it uses the learners' natural language.


 * __Examples of how you might use this effective approach:__**
 * Have an individual student go up to the class and write his or her experiences, based on the prompt
 * Ask about a subject (be it a television show, video game or a recent experience) that your student enjoys. Encourage your student to talk about what interests him or her the most, //in whatever manner is comfortable for him.//
 * As your student speaks, neatly write down his experience IN HIS OWN WORDS (or have him go up and write himself). If he says "don't" where you would say "doesn't", you should still write "don't". This is the time for your student to express his own thoughts in his own way. Of course, you'll want to write with printed letters, not cursive.
 * When your student has finished his description or narration, review his or her "writing" and read it together. You may be surprised how easily your student can read his own words--even words that might otherwise be considered difficult.
 * Your student's creation will be important to him and should be treated as such. Encourage him or her to illustrate it and/or staple it into the form of a book. (Although older students may not be interested in this last step, the language experience approach is useful at any age.

__**How the Language Experience Approach Teaches Kids to Read**__ When students read their own writing about a shared experience they are more able to experience reading success. Students are motivated to read their own work and already have the necessary background information to comprehend the text. Teachers are able to use the LEA strategy to assist students in building fluency skills, teaching phonics, vocabulary words, and grammar skills.

**NOTE:** There is no one right way to use the language experience approach. You can adapt or design it any way that is most appropriate/beneficial for the needs of your students. Here are some video examples of different ways to use the language experience approach: media type="youtube" key="QjeR5IKtrXI" height="385" width="480" media type="youtube" key="VyanaPKUrRw" height="385" width="480" __media type="youtube" key="6Kc9yYmPKBs" height="385" width="480" media type="youtube" key="xXZuoH4DPFg" height="385" width="480" media type="youtube" key="Swg-zcbsA1c" height="385" width="480"
 * __Video examples:__**

__**Sources:**__ http://www.sil.org/lingualinks/literacy/referencematerials/glossaryofliteracyterms/whatisthelanguageexperienceapp.htm http://www.literacyconnections.com/InTheirOwnWords.php
 * More things to know about LEA (INCORPORATING OTHER ED. TERMS):**__
 * LEA can be used with individual students as well as with small cooperative groups.

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