The effectiveness of the language experience approach in first grade

This study measured the effectiveness of the language experience approach to beginning reading. Two first grade classes, an experimental group using the language experience approach, and a control group using the traditional basal-phonics approach, were involved in the study. Both classes were pretested using the Lee-Clark Reading Readiness Test and Animal Crackers: A Test of Motivation to Achieve. A 10-week period of beginning reading instruction was then followed by posttesting using the same measurements. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance. With a 0.5 level of confidence as criteria, it was found that there was no significant difference between the experimental and control groups on the Lee-Clark Reading Readiness Test. Similarly, there was found to be no significant difference between the groups on Animal Crackers: A Test of Motivation to Achieve with the exception that the girls in the control group performed significantly better than the girls in the experimental group on total score and the boys in the experimental group performed significantly better than the girls in the experimental group on one subscore.