Schema is what we think we know. It’s what we’ve seen before, heard about, or experienced in our life. We all have different schema, because we’ve all lived and experienced different things. You can have a lot of schema or a little bit of schema for something. Or you can have no schema at all.
When we "activate" our schema, we think about what we already know. It’s like we have a whole bunch of little file folders in our head labeled with different topics. One folder might be labeled "grandma" or "dolphins" or "worms". If we activate our schema for "worms" then we pull that file folder out of our head and open it up and see what we already have inside it.
When we "build" our schema, we add new information into those files. We do this by reading a book about that topic, talking with a friend, or by simply experiencing something.
When we "revise" our schema, we take out any information that was wrong and replace it with new information. For example, we might have had in our schema that dolphins are fish. But when we built our schema and read a book about dolphins, we revised our schema when we found out that dolphins are mammals.
Making Connections Explained
When we make connections we are actually activating our schema. We read a book and something in the book reminds us of something we have done before. This is called a T-> S (Text to Self) Connection. When students write their connections on sticky notes or in their homework notebooks, please make sure the connection explains how it is connected to the book. For example, instead of just saying “I’ve eaten ice cream before,” a better connection would be “I’ve eaten ice cream before, just like Harry inHorrible Harry.”
Text to Text Connections Explained
When we make text to text connections, we are connecting a thought or idea from two different books. For example, the storyline may be the same, the type of character may be the same (traits or feelings), the theme (or the lesson the author is trying to teach us) may be the same, the settings may be the same. When making a text to text connection on their graphic organizer, students are asked write in both book titles. Then, when they list what the connection is, they should state it as “Both books have….(excited characters), or both books’ themes are that “everybody is different”. Children should be adding the word because so that we know why there is a connection. Students can also make these connections during their nightly readings on sticky notes.
Some suggested websites:
(This site provides information and support on how to help your child read. Don't forget to check out the article on word study!)
www.readingrockets.org
This site provides activities and information for literacy.
http://carlscorner.us.com/
Some suggested websites:
This site gives you some examples of reading for a purpose:
(This site provides information and support on how to help your child read. Don't forget to check out the article on word study!)
www.readingrockets.org
This site provides activities and information for literacy.
http://carlscorner.us.com/
