Can someone help with revising this essay

• Introduction
• The teacher candidate's assessment of their own performance
• What they did well?
• What they need to improve upon?
• Specific examples of children's comments or behaviors that showed what the children already knew about print conventions and what they are still learning
• Specific examples of how the teacher candidate adjusted the lesson based on the children's comments or behaviors during the LEA.
• A discussion of the children's behaviors, responses, and learning during the experience
• Connections between the LEA lesson and course readings or experiences

The Language Experience Approach (LEA) is a teaching method that focuses on linking spoken language with written text, which is especially good for young students. This assessment is designed to check my skill in using LEA to teach print conventions to kindergarten kids. By planning, teaching the lesson, and then thinking back on it, I will not only evaluate my teaching methods but also see how well the students understood and interacted with the lesson.

When I thought about how I did during the Language Experience Approach lesson, I noticed some things I did really well. First, being well-prepared was very important. I had two copies of the lesson plan to easily check things, and I took careful notes when talking to my professor to make sure I understood everything correctly. Before starting the lesson, I made a special effort to talk to the students' parents. I learned about what their kids like, especially what they enjoy, and used that information to focus our discussion on Barbie dolls. This showed the students that I respected their interests and made them more interested in the lesson. Also, buying an actual Barbie doll made the students excited; it helped us talk about Barbie-related playtime activities and made the lesson more fun and interactive.

I was really nervous and worried that my lesson plan might not go as planned, so I kept thinking about it and changing parts of it on the day I met the students. This made me doubt myself, wondering if I had prepared enough or if I missed something important. Even with these feelings, I decided to stick with my original plan instead of making last-minute changes that could confuse everyone. Looking back, there were some moments of doubt, especially about how the students would react to using Barbie as a topic, but overall, things went pretty well once we started our activities. In the future, I'll work on being more confident before teaching so I don't doubt my plans at important times like this again.

During the experience, the children's behaviors, responses, and learning showcased their understanding of print conventions and highlighted areas where they were still developing their skills. At first, one child was very talkative and sure of themselves when talking about Barbies, while the other stayed quiet. Moving forward they both started talking about fashion, dream houses, and adventures related to the toy. Both kids were great at coming up with ideas, using words like nouns, adjectives, and verbs to describe the toy. They noticed details like the shiny blonde hair and smooth plastic of Barbies and shared how happy and excited they felt when playing with them. Additionally, they looked at words with similar and opposite meanings, comparing Barbies to Shopkins and LOL dolls, and talked about how they differ from superheroes. The activity that focused on sounds showed their growing skills, as they easily found words that started with the letter b and they would say the b sound and then the word with that sound. This deep discussion not only showed what they already knew but also highlighted their progress in learning about how words and language work.

During the lesson, I saw that one student was talking a lot while the other stayed quiet. I realized I needed to change how I was teaching to make sure everyone felt included. To help the quiet student join in, I told a story about my own time playing with Barbies, which seemed to make her feel more at ease. As we thought about different ideas and described them, I started asking "why" after each answer, which made both students explain their thoughts more. This not only showed that I valued their ideas but also helped them understand better, allowing me to handle the lesson better.

The Language Experience Approach (LEA) lesson I implemented clearly aligns with the principles outlined in the READ 3320 Early Literacy Development course, which emphasizes the foundational role of oral language development in fostering emergent literacy skills. The course materials highlight key components such as the alphabetic principle, phonological and phonemic awareness, print conventions, word identification, and spelling, all of which were integral to my lesson. By using Barbie dolls as a culturally relevant stimulus, I engaged students in meaningful dialogue that facilitated their understanding of language as a social and cultural construct. The interactions during the lesson allowed students to practice their phonological awareness as they identified rhyming words and explored sensory details, demonstrating their emerging literacy skills.

In summary, my experience with the LEA lesson highlighted the importance of careful preparation and flexibility when teaching early literacy skills to young children. Although I was initially nervous about how the lesson would go, the students' positive reactions and active participation eased my worries and confirmed that my teaching methods were effective. The lesson not only showed me what the students already knew but also gave me a better understanding of their ongoing literacy progress. Going forward, I will work on boosting my confidence and making sure my lessons are inclusive and adaptable to meet the different needs of my students. This reflective process has helped me see literacy as a culturally connected process of making meaning, and it emphasizes the crucial role of good teaching strategies in encouraging young learners to enjoy reading and writing.