What is the Language Experience Approach (LEA) primarily designed to do?

The Language Experience Approach (LEA) is primarily designed to facilitate conversations where students can articulate their ideas and thoughts, while the teacher records these expressions. This method emphasizes the connection between oral language and literacy by using students' own words to create texts that they can later read, write, and analyze. It engages students in meaningful discussions that help develop their language skills in context. By allowing children to express themselves verbally and then transforming those spoken words into written form, LEA supports literacy development in a personalized and relatable manner. This process is essential in early childhood education, as it fosters communication skills, self-expression, and a sense of ownership over their learning.