Language Experience Approach (LEA)

What Is It?

The language experience approach integrates speaking and listening, reading and writing through the development of a written text based on first-hand experiences.

Through scaffolded talk, the teacher supports students to document experiences and ideas, using familiar and expanded vocabulary, and modeling ways in which their thoughts and words can be written down and later read.

Why Use It?

With this strategy. teachers can teach writing conventions, practice foundational skills, and/or have students practice reading fluency. This strategy can also be used as formative assessment.

Instructional Steps:

1. Using turn & talk or QSSSA, the teacher elicits contributions from the student partnerships about what they have learned usin prompts such as “We learned…” etc.

2. The teacher scribes the sentences as she/he/they highlight a teaching objective such as writing conventions.

3. The students re-read the sentences whole-group as the LEA is being constructed.

4. The LEA text that was created is used throughout several days (or weeks) for reading fluency practice and foundational skills. Content can be added as students deepen their understanding of the topic.