Lamb, Pose The Language Experience Approach to Teaching Beginning Reading to Culturally Disadvantaged

The purpose of the study reported here was to investigate the effectiveness of the language experience approach to beginning reading instruction when used with pupils described as culturally deprived. Ten teachers of first grade classes in inner-city schools in Indianapolis volunteered to participate. Five teachers agreed to continue using a modification of the programs advocated by the authors of the basal. series they were currently using. Five teachers volunteered to use the language experience approach. An observation stale was used to guide the monthly observation of each teacher. A log sheet was developed and completed by each teacher in order to control the reading time variable. The Otis-Lennon Mental Abilities Test was administered in 3anuary 1970. An adaptation of the Primary Pupil Reading Attitude Inventory was administered in March 1970, in order to assess attitude differences. In May 1970, Ole California Reading Test was administered. The results of all statistical analyses suggest that there were no significant differences in attitude toward reading between the two groups. The results of this study corroborate those of the majority of the First Grade Studies, in which the language experience approach was not found to be significantly superior in terms of reading achievement. (Author/JM