1. Welcomes to RELO Andes Webinars

2. Reading and Writing for Young Learners
Wendy Coulson
English Language Programs
May 23, 2018

3. Wendy Coulson is an English
Language Fellow in Medellin,
Colombia working at Centro Colombo
Americano Medellin, a binational
center, creating training workshops
for teachers of young learners and
those with learners with special
needs. She also created leadership
workshops for youth in CCA’s social
programs.
Wendy has been an education
consultant for the past six years and
founded her own consultancy, Peace
& Development Education Consulting
which develops education programs
for development projects.
She has a Masters of Education
specializing in bilingual and special
education and Masters of Arts in
Applied Linguistics and TESOL.
Biography

4. Poll #1
When do you begin to teach writing in English?
A.In Kindergarten
B.First grade
C.Second grade
D.Third grade
E.Fourth grade
F.Other (please specify in chat)

5. Recommendation
Begin reading and writing instruction in English only
after the children have a strong foundation in Spanish.

6. Play

7. Principle for Beginning Writing
If you can say it, you can write it.
And if you can write it, you can read it.

8. Definition of LEA
The Language Experience Approach (LEA) is a method of using
the students’ own words to write a story based on a shared
experience.

9. Language Experiences
Classroom/School Field Trips Personal Common Knowledge
-Songs
-Poems
-Stories
-Festivals
-Special day
-Cooking
-Zoo
-Museum
-Ruins
-Walk around the
block (Fall Walk)
-Personal
information
-Pen Pal Letter
-Description of the
class
-Morning Message:
a new baby in the
family, a birthday
-Local news
-Facts about your
school/city/country
-Science facts
-Steps to complete a
task

10. Steps for LEA
1. Share an experience.
2. Talk about it.
3. Generate text with learners with teacher as scribe.
4. Read and revise it.
5. Read repeatedly.
6. Copy the text.
7. Focus on text for:
-further writing
-phonics study
-grammar study.

12. The Three Little Pigs
I’ll huff
and I’ll puff
and I’ll blow
your house
down.

13. The Three Little Pigs
The first pig made a house from straw. The second pig made a stick house.
The third pig made a brick house.
The Wolf came and said, “Little pigs, little pigs, let me in.”
The pigs answered, “Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin.”
“Then I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow your house down,” said the Wolf.
He blew the stick and hay houses down, but he could not blow down the
brick house. So, the pigs lived happily ever after in their little brick house.

14. Examples of LES

15. More Examples
Poem Read-aloud

16. Benefits of LEA
• Motivating
• Familiar format
• Little materials prep
• Authentic Reading
• Comprehension not an issue
• Integrated skills practice
• Bank of shared experiences

17. Poll #2
How often do you tell stories, play games,
sing songs?
A: Every day
B: Every other day
C: Once a week
D: Almost never
E: Never

18. Big Books
Big Books are books with enlarged print used in shared reading
activities to promote emerging literacy. Books are typically
chosen because of their predictability, rhythm, rhyme, and
repetition.

19. Morning Message
A written message that the teacher either prepares beforehand or
creates with the students with specific objectives in mind.

21. Poll #3
Which method of shared reading or writing
do you think you will try?
A.The Language Experience Approach
B.Class-created Big Books
C.Morning or Daily Message
D.None of the above

22. Thank You!
Wendy Coulson
Englishfellow@colomboworld.com
Facebook: Medellin English Language Fellow

23. Thanks for joining us!
Check us out next month
▫ Presenter: Sara Hendricks
▫ Location: San Jose Chiapa, Mexico
▫ Topic: Encouraging Speaking in Low Level
Learners
▫ Date: June 20, 2018
▫ Time: 1500-1600

24. fellow@elprograms.org
@ELPrograms
For more information