The Effectiveness of the Language Experience Approach as a Supplement to a Basal Reader Program.

Ten second grade students in a slow reading group were studied to compare the effects of basal and language experience instruction on word recognition skills. For four weeks, all the students received 90 minutes of basal instruction each morning. During the afternoon sessions, the five language experience students dictated and read stories related to the theme of the basal lesson, while the five remaining students continued to use only the basal instructional materials. Both groups were pre and posttested on 180 words in isolation. The data showed that the language experience group achieved 10% greater sight vocabulary than the basal group. Only 20% of the basal group exceeded the combined mean gain in word recognition for both groups (20.8), while 80% of the language experience group exceeded the mean. It appears that the language experience activities stimulated the children to use difficult words in the familiar, meaningful context of their own oral language, reinforcing the basal lessons. The language experience group also had the opportunity to interact with older partners (third grade students) during their afternoon sessions, an individualized approach to reading that resulted in more interest in reading. (RL)