Teaching Language Comprehension

Paper Summary:

The paper provides a summary of Dorr's article; "Something Old is New Again," and offers a strong commendation of the article. Specifically, the author of this paper finds Dorr's article to be lucid, detailed, well-thought-out, judicious in its use of illustrations and clearly aimed at serving as a practical model for teachers. The writer shows how Dorr uses a wide range of scholarly materials to bolster her contention that the language experience approach (LEA) is a premier means of teaching language comprehension.

From the Paper:

"Roberta Dorr's article, "Something old is new again," is an excellent introduction to the complicated matter of teaching children how to read with comprehension and insight. The author insists that her avowed aim is to reinforce the old idea, first articulated by Vygotsky, that cognitive development in children is facilitated when abstract concepts introduced in the classroom setting are linked to the child's experiences in everyday life. To put the matter another way, a skilled teacher will access the knowledge children already possess and use this prior knowledge to render comprehensible that which is being read or taught to them. Dorr's article illustrates how this approach can be put into successful practice through a modified Language Experience Approach (LEA) wherein the literacy experience is placed at the end of lessons rather than at the beginning."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Dorr, Roberta E. (2006). Something old is new again: Revisiting language experience. The Reading Teacher, 60(2): 138-146.

More papers on Teaching Language Comprehension:

• Persuasive Essay # 144618 : "Teaching American Sign Language"
• Essay # 40014 : "Whole Language Theory"
• Comparison Essay # 28398 : "Language Acquisition"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: