Abstract of

Something Old Is New Again: Revisiting Language Experience

Roberta E. Dorr

Children arrive in classrooms with varied background knowledge, which means that teachers must select instructional methods, materials, and techniques to meet multiple needs. A carefully planned approach that includes direct and explicit instruction—as well as extensive opportunities for reading, writing, speaking, and listening—can help students make connections.

The sample lesson in this article uses a stimulus picture to connect prior knowledge from the home culture with content to be learned in class. Using vocabulary cards and graphic organizers, students learn strategies to read, define, and use topic-specific vocabulary. Vocabulary words are modeled in sentences, allowing students to practice and demonstrate the meaning of the word and its use. Students compose sentences and short paragraphs to demonstrate what they have learned. As a culminating project, they apply new vocabulary facts and concepts during a field trip.

High-need students can be engaged and will progress through the use of this modified Language Experience Approach. It offers classroom teachers the flexibility to select the appropriate skills and strategies needed by diverse student populations.

Abstract from Dorr, R.E. (2006, October). Something Old Is New Again: Revisiting Language Experience. The Reading Teacher, 60(2), 138–146. doi: 10.1598/RT.60.2.4