Schema Theory by Carol Nichols, Metropolitan State College of Denver, [e-mail]

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Schema Theory by Carol Nichols, Metropolitan
State College of Denver, nicholsc_at_mscd.edu

• Schema Theory and Comprehension

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Comprehension

• An active process in which readers interpret what
  they read in accordance with what is already
  known about the topic.
• The reader integrates prior knowledge with text
  information to create new information.

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Comprehension Instruction

• Teachers spend very little time actually teaching
  students techniques which will help them learn
  how to understand text.
• One study indicated that less than 1 of the time
  in the classrooms studied was used for teaching
  how to comprehend text.

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Teachers mention comprehension and teach
comprehension by asking questions.
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Levels of Comprehension

• See the handout in the packet.
• Literal Level understanding what is stated
  directly in print
• Inferential Level-- understanding meaning that is
  not directly stated in print
• Critical Level evaluating material, applying
  information

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Schema Theory (1970s-1980s)

• The theory that explains how readers store
  information in their minds and how previously
  acquired knowledge is used to inhibit or assist
  the learning of new knowledge.
• Schemata (plural) are organized in memory by
  associations, categories, and examples.

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Schemata

• Accessed in memory much like looking up a topic
  in an encyclopedia or in a file cabinet.
• Size and content of each schema influenced by
  past opportunities to learn.

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Schemata

• Students who already know a great deal about a
  topic will remember more from their reading than
  students who knew little or nothing about the
  topic.
• Previous knowledge helps readers acquire new
  knowledge.

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Schema Theory

• Schemata - - knowledge already stored in
  memory
• Schema (singular)
• Compare to a mental filing cabinet.
• Teachers must help students access this filing
  system of existing information (activate schema).
• Activate schema before an activity where
  information is gained listening to a speaker,
  reading, going on a field trip, etc.

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Benefits to Students if Schema is Activated
Before Reading

• Comprehension is better.
• Information gained during reading is retained
  longer.
• Information gained during reading is recalled
  easier.

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Benefits to Teacher if Students Schema is
Activated

• The teacher can hear what type of background the
  students have about the topic.
• This gives the teacher a chance to assess the
  fitness of the reader to the material. The
  material itself or the way the material will be
  presented to the students may need to be changed.

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Metacognition

• The conscious control of your own thinking about
  the task you are performing and the monitoring of
  the effectiveness of your performance of the task.

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Three interrelated metacognitive processes that
relate to reading

• Self knowledge
• Task knowledge
• Self monitoring