Teaching Reading - How to Write a Language Experience Story

Creating language experience stories is a great way6. Ask the learners to begin to write the story or
to teach that reading, writing and talking are related.some of the words themselves as they develop.
It helps learners to understand that what they thinkIndividual Language Experience Stories
about and say can be written down and what is1. Ask the learner to dictate an experience or story
written can be read. There are many variations onto you.
how to create the stories and experiences to use as2. Write down the words the learner says.
a basis.3. Read back to the learner what you wrote to
Here are some guidelines to follow when you createmake sure it is what the learner wanted to say.
a language experience approach to teaching reading.4. Ask the learner if any changes need to be made.
Group Language Experience Stories5. Read and re read the story together, tracking as
When working as a group write the story on ayou go.
chalkboard or whiteboard. This makes it easy to edit6. Ask the learners to begin to write the story or
as you go along. Ask the learners to begin to writesome of the words themselves as they develop.
the story themselves as they progress in theirOnce you have created a language experience story
reading and writing skills.there are many ways you can use it. Here are some
1. Organise a language experience activity to inspireways to use story or report you create.
the learners.1. Read the story to the learners several times during
2. Invite learners one by one, to dictate a sentencethe week to review and reinforce the the words.
about the experience2. Make a large poster with the words on so the
3. Write down exactly what they have said.learners can see it easily.
4. Read the story back and ask the learners if any3. Make copies of the story for each learner and
changes need to be made.make them into a book.
5. Read and re read the story together tracking as4. Make sentence or word cards so the learners can
you read. Tracking means following along and pointingmatch them to the story.
out the words in the passage as it is being read. It5. Make a 'fill in the missing words' exercise with the
can be done with a pointer or a finger.text. This is called a 'cloze procedure'.