What does the Language Experience Approach (LEA) integrate?

The Language Experience Approach (LEA) integrates reading and writing using students' experiences, making it a highly personalized and effective method for language development. This approach is built on the principle that children learn best when they can relate the new information to their own experiences and knowledge. In LEA, teachers encourage students to share their thoughts and stories, which are then transcribed and used as reading material that is directly relevant to the students. This not only enhances literacy skills but also helps in developing comprehension by grounding learning in familiar contexts.

Using personal experiences as a basis for reading and writing enables students to engage more deeply with the material, as they are often more motivated to read texts that reflect their own lives. This method effectively bridges oral language with written language, supporting comprehensive language development that includes both reading and writing.