SCHEMA - K Schema - K Page 1
Prior Knowledge What prior knowledge about reading strategies do students need to have before entering this unit of study? Define the Strategy What is schema and how do readers use it? Monitoring for meaning Retelling SCHEMA: Schema is a reader s background knowledge that is used to understand the text. Readers use their background knowledge of topic, genre, author and their own personal experiences to understand the characters, plot and main ideas in the text. MAKING CONNECTIONS: Readers use their schema to connect their background knowledge with the information in the text. When a reader does this it is often referred to as making a connection or using schema. Concepts to Teach What are the important concepts that you will teach within this unit of study? 1. What is schema? drama (opening lesson) 2. What is schema? 3. How do readers use their schema to help them understand the text? 4. What is a connection? 5. How do readers make connections? 6. How does making connections help you understand the characters? Part 1 7. How does making connections help you make/revise predictions? Part II 8. Text to self connections Schema - K Page 2
Focus Lesson Text Concept 1. What is schema?- Drama Independent Reading Books Schema is a reader s background knowledge that is used to understand the text. It is all you know about a topic or an idea 2. What is schema? Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day 3. How do readers use their schema to help them understand the text? When Sophie Gets Angry Really, Really Angry 4. What is a connection? Classroom Discussion 5. How do readers make connections? 6. How does making connections help you to understand the characters?-part I 7. How does making connections help you to make predictions Part II Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for the 100 th Day of Kindergarten The Kissing Hand Shopping Schema is a reader s background knowledge that is used to understand the text. It is all you know about a topic or an idea Readers activate their schema before reading by thinking about the content of the text. One way readers talk about their connections is, This reminds me of Readers make connections to help them understand the characters and the plot. Readers make connections to help them make predictions 8.Text to Self Connections Vera s First Day of School Readers connect what has happened in their own lives with what the characters and plot in the story. Schema - K Page 3
Anchor Charts What is schema? Different ways readers make connections to texts How does using our schema help us as readers? Ways to Record our Thinking Post-its (recording connections) Graphic Organizers Post-its Journals Independent Reading/Conference Points Evidence of Understanding and Independence (oral and written) Have you made any connections to this text? How did your connection help you to understand and enjoy the story more? Let s read together and stop and share our connections. How has your schema for this topic changed? What was your schema for this book before you began? How has your schema changed? Tell me about your connections. Show me the place the text where What is your schema for this book? Turn and Talk Discussions Independent reading conference discussions. Schema - K Page 4
Recommended Model Text for Making Connections Title Author Notes The Snowy Day Ezra Jack Keats Picture Book A Chair for My Mother Vera B. Williams Picture Book Alexander and the Judith Viorst Picture Book Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day When Sophie Gets Angry Molly Bang Picture Book Really, Really Angry Miss Bindergarten Joseph Slate Picture Book Celebrates the 100 th Day of Kindergarten Miss Bindergarten Gets Joseph Slate Picture Book Ready for the 100 th Day of Kindergarten The Kissing Hand Audrey Penn Picture Book Five Silly Fishermen Roberta Edwards Picture Book Birthday Presents Cynthia Rylant Picture Book Noisy Nora Rosemary Wells Picture Book Vera s First Day of School Vera Rosenberry Picture Book Schema - K Page 5
Anchor Lesson 1: What is Schema Drama? Title of Text: Lesson Plan: Notes to Build Next Lesson Select the materials. Discussion Choose a text that supports the strategy. Independent Reading Books Name the strategy. Explain. I have noticed that A strategy good readers use is Today we are going to learn about Schema. Schema is all that you know. Schema is all the things you have ever done, all the places you have ever been and all the people you have ever met. You keep all this information in your mind and that is called your schema. Each day we learn more and more and we continue to build our schema. Let me show you what I mean. Let s pretend that our class is going to go on a field trip to my house. Has anyone in this class ever been to my house? (no) I am going to prove to you that even though you have not been to my house your schema will help you to have a lot of ideas of what you might see. I want each of you to think about what you might see in my kitchen. I know you have never seen it, but your schema for a kitchen will help you know what might be in my kitchen. Let s do it with a different topic. Let s pretend that we are going to go visit the Lilja Elementary School in Natick. Raise your hand if you have ever been there. Even if you haven t been to that school, I bet you can think of lots of items that you might see.. You knew what you would see in my kitchen and in a different school. Your schema gave you that information. Schema is all that you know about a topic or an idea. Now I want to show you how to use your schema before reading. Schema - K Page 6
Anchor Lesson 1: What is Schema Drama? Demonstrate the strategy. Say: Think aloud. Show: Model. Explain: How this will help them as a reader. Watch how I use my schema before I read a book. This book is about having a brother or a sister I know a lot about have a brother. Share your ideas: Sometimes brothers and sisters fight Sometimes brothers and sisters play together Sometimes brothers and sisters get jealous of each other. Now when I read this book, I am going to use my schema to understand the story and I am going to learn new ideas too. Provide guided Invite the students to practice the strategy with teacher guidance. Provide independent Read the story and point out a few places where your schema helped you to understand the story. Here are a few books. Show books about a few topics and create a list of topics. e.g. snowy day, fire station, bats, dinosaurs, horses, painting, playing dodge ball. I would like you and your turn and talk partner to choose one book that you have not read but think you know about the topic and discuss your schema for the book Once you have finished talking about your schema, please read the book with your partner. Remind students before they go off to read. When you go to I.R. try Conference Points What was your schema for this book? Now that you have read your book is there anything you might add to this list? Share/ Reinforce Which partnership would like to share their list of schema today? Schema - K Page 7
Anchor Lesson 2: What is Schema? Title of Text: Lesson Plan: Notes to Build Next Lesson Select the materials. Alexander and the Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, Judith Viorst Choose a text that supports the strategy. Name the strategy. Explain. I have noticed that A strategy good readers use is Today we are going to learn about Schema. Schema is all that you know. Schema is all the things you have ever done, all the places you have ever been and all the people you have ever met. You keep all this information in your mind and that is called your schema. Each day we learn more and more and we continue to build our schema. Good readers use their schema before reading to help them understand the story better. Let me show you what I mean. Demonstrate the strategy. Say: Think aloud. Show: Model. Explain: How this will help them as a reader. Watch how I use my schema before I read a book. This book is about having a bad day.. Share your ideas: Sometimes you are tired Sometimes you forget your snack Sometimes you have a fight with your friend Sometimes you step in a puddle by accident and get all wet Now when I read this book, I am going to use my schema to understand the story. I know what it is like to have a bad day and I will see what happens to this boy on a bad day. Provide guided Invite the students to practice the Read the story and point out a few places where your schema helped you to understand the story. Here are a few books. Show books about a few topics and create a list of topics. Schema - K Page 8
Anchor Lesson 2: What is Schema? strategy with teacher guidance. e.g. snowy day, fire station, bats, dinosaurs, horses, painting, playing dodge ball. Provide independent Remind students before they go off to read. When you go to I.R. try I would like you and your turn and talk partner to choose one book that you have not read but think you know about the topic and discuss your schema for the book Once you have finished talking about your schema, please read the book with your partner. If teacher prefers, students can read independent books after the turn and talk rather than partner reading. Conference Points What was your schema for this book? Now that you have read your book is there anything you might add to this list? Share/ Reinforce Which partnership (or child) would like to share their list of schema today? Schema - K Page 9
Anchor Lesson 3. How do readers use their schema to help them understand the text? Title of Text: Lesson Plan: Notes to Build Next Lesson Select the materials. Text: When Sophie Gets Angry Really, Really Angry, Molly Bang Choose a text that supports the strategy. Name the strategy. Explain. I have noticed that A strategy good readers use is Introduce the Text. Demonstrate the strategy. Say: Think aloud. Show: Model. Explain: How this will help them as a reader. Provide guided Invite the students to practice the strategy We have been learning about schema. Schema is all that you know. Schema is all the things you have ever done, all the places you have ever been and all the people you have ever met. You keep all this information in your mind and that is called your schema. Each day we learn more and more and we continue to build our schema. Good readers use their schema before reading to help them understand the story better. Today I want to show you how good readers activate their schema for a book before they read. Before we read this book, I am going to think about what I already know about the topic of this story. This will help me to make predictions and to understand the story. Let me show you how I think about the topic before I read. Show the front cover of the text. The title is, When Sophie Gets Angry Really, Really Angry. From the title I know that this book is going to be about a girl named Sophie who gets really angry. I know when I get angry I yell, cry and sometimes I want to be alone. Now I will use my schema to help me make some predictions or ask questions. I wonder what will make Sophie angry. I wonder what she will do when she gets angry. I think she will be happy at the end of the story. Please turn to your partner and tell them your schema for being angry. What makes you angry? What do you do when you get angry? Once students have shared their schema. Read the text aloud. Schema - K Page 10
Anchor Lesson 3. How do readers use their schema to help them understand the text? with teacher guidance. Provide independent Remind students before they go off to read. When you go to I.R. try Model as you are reading, how your schema is helping you to understand the story. Before you begin reading today, take a few minutes to think about your schema for the topic of your book. Then read the book. As you are reading think about how your schema is helping you to make predictions and ask questions. Conference Points What was your schema for this book? Tell me what you think will happen next? How is your schema helping you make that prediction? What are you wondering? How is your schema helping understand the story? Share/ Reinforce Who would like to share how they used their schema today during reading? Schema - K Page 11
Anchor Lesson 4. What is a connection? Strategy Lesson Plan Title of Text: Lesson Plan: Notes to Build Next Lesson Select the materials. Text: Classroom Discussion Choose a text that supports the strategy. Name the strategy. Explain. I have noticed that A strategy good readers use is Introduce the Text. Level: Elementary Yesterday we learned what schema is and how readers use it. Today we are going to learn how readers use their schema to make connections. We make a connection when we hear or read about something and think to ourselves: I already know something about that or this reminds me of.. A connection can be something we have in common with another person. Today we are going to learn about connections by talking about what is the same about our families. Which children in this class have an older brother or sister? (thumbs up) These children have a connection that the rest of us don t have because they all know what it is like to have an older sibling. Which children have a younger brother or sister? - These children have a connection because they know what it is like to have a younger sibling. Which children are the single children in their family? These children have a connection because they know what it is like to be the single child in a family. (student name) and I have a connection because we both. Demonstrate the strategy. Say: Think aloud. Let me show you how I can use my schema to make connections to have a conversation with Mia (child in the class). Schema - K Page 12
Anchor Lesson 4. What is a connection? Show: Model. Explain: How this will help them as a reader. Provide guided Invite the students to practice the strategy with teacher guidance. Share/ Reinforce I want to talk to Mia about our connection of having older siblings, so I am going to ask her questions to learn more about her family. How many siblings do you have? (Mia answers2 ) I two also. This is a connection. Now I can ask Mia what is fun about having older siblings. After she answers, she will ask me questions about my siblings. We have a connection about having older siblings. Turn to your partner and talk about your siblings or being a single child. Partner students with common family types. Once you have found what you have in common begin having a conversation about the topic. How did your connection help you when you were speaking to each other? How would the conversation have been different if you didn t have something in common? Create an Anchor Chart: Ways Connections Help Us. Schema - K Page 13
Anchor Lesson 5. How do readers make connections? Title of Text: Lesson Plan: Notes to Build Next Lesson Select the materials. Choose a text that supports the strategy. Text: Miss Bindergarten Celebrates the 100 th Day of Kindergarten, Joseph Slate Level: Elementary Name the strategy. Explain. I have noticed that A strategy good readers use is Introduce the Text. Yesterday we discussed how we make connections in our lives all of the time. Making connections is when you think I already know something about that or that reminds me of something. Readers make these same types of connections with books. Readers connect to the characters and the ideas in a book/story. Making connections helps a reader understand a story. Today we are going to learn more about how to make connections with books/stories. Demonstrate the strategy. Introduce the Text. Create Anchor Chart: (picture or words) Say: Think aloud. Show: Model. Explain: How this will help them as a reader. Ways to Talk about Connections: This part reminds me of I remember when. I have a connection with this part of the text. I am going to read the story aloud and I will stop reading to share some of my connections with you. When I m holding the book up like this, I ll be reading. When the book is down on my lap like this, I ll be thinking aloud. Read aloud pages 1-2. Stop and model. I remember when our class celebrated 100 th Day. Our class also brought in collections of 100. I remember Daniel brought 100 marbles and Susan brought 100 shells. Read aloud next few pages. Schema - K Page 14
Anchor Lesson 5. How do readers make connections? This part reminds me of all the 100 th day activities we did in our class. I have a connection with Miss Bindergarten because I know what it is like to get all those activities ready. I know how excited she is to see all the kids collections and to celebrate with the class because that is how I feel on the 100 th day. Provide guided Invite the students to practice the strategy with teacher guidance. Provide independent Remind students before they go off to read. When you go to I.R. try Read the next few pages aloud. Turn to your neighbor and share any connections that you might have. Remember that one way readers talk about their connections is to say or think, That reminds me of.. As you are reading during independent reading, think about what the story reminds you of. During our group share today, I will ask a few of you to share your connections. Conference Points Show me where you made a connection. How did your connection help you to understand the story? Share/Reinforce Who would like to share a connection they made when reading their book today? Schema - K Page 15
Anchor Lesson 6. How does making connections help you to understand the characters Part I Title of Text: Lesson Plan: Notes to Build Next Lesson Select the materials. Text: The Kissing Hand, Audrey Penn Choose a text that supports the strategy. Level: Elementary Name the strategy. Explain. I have noticed that A strategy good readers use is Introduce the Text. Yesterday, we talked about how readers use their schema to make connections. We learned that readers sometimes say, This reminds me of when they want to share one of their connections. Point to Anchor Chart, Ways Readers Make Connections. Good readers not only make these connections but as they make them they think about how the connection helps them to understand the story and remember it longer. Today I want to teach how making connections can help you understand the characters in the story. Demonstrate the strategy. Say: Think aloud. Show: Model. Explain: How this will help them as a reader. Introduce the text. As I read, I will think about how the connections I am making are helping me to understand the characters in the story. When I make a connection, I am going to say, This reminds me of I will think about how this connection helps me understand the story Let me show you how. Text Says: Just press your hand to your cheek and think, Mommy loves you. Mommy loves you. And that very kiss will jump to your face and fill you with toasty warm thoughts. This reminds me of when my mom tells me she loves me. When my mom says she loves me I feel so warm inside. That connection helps me to know Schema - K Page 16
Anchor Lesson 6. How does making connections help you to understand the characters Part I how Chester will feel when he presses his palm to his face. I bet he will feel warm inside too. When I can feel what Chester is feeling, I understand the story better because I understand the character. Continue to model several more examples. Provide guided Invite the students to practice the strategy with teacher guidance. Provide independent Read a few pages aloud. Ask students to turn and talk with a partner about their connections. Ask students to explain how the connection helps them to understand the text. Today at independent reading, I want you to think about the connections you are making and how they are helping you to understand the text. Remind students before they go off to read. When you go to I.R. try Conference Points Have you made any connections today? Show me where you made a connection in this story? What is your connection? How did that connection help you to understand the text? Share/Reinforce Please turn to your turn and talk partner to share any connections that you made during independent reading. I will come around and listen to your conversations. Listen in and have one or two students with strong connections share. Add 1 or 2 ideas to the anchor chart: Ways Connections Help Us (Add - As Readers) Schema - K Page 17
Anchor Lesson 7. How making connections helps you make/revise predictions Part II Title of Text: Lesson Plan: Notes to Build Next Lesson Select the materials. Text: Shopping, Jillian Cutting Level: Elementary Choose a text that supports the strategy. Name the strategy. Explain. I have noticed that A strategy good readers use is Yesterday, we talked about how making connections helps us understand the characters. Today I want to show you how using your schema not only helps us understand the characters but it also helps us make predictions throughout the story. Introduce the Text. Point to Anchor Chart, Ways Connections Help Us Demonstrate the strategy. Say: Think aloud. Show: Model. Explain: How this will help them as a reader. Introduce the text. Before I read, I will think about what I know about topic. What do I know about this topic, what does this remind me of Once I have a few ideas in my head, I will use that information to make a few predictions. Let me show you how. The cover of the book says, Shopping and the illustration shows a woman and a boy in a supermarket. I am going to think about what I know about this topic. This book is probably about a mom and a son who are shopping for food in a grocery store. I know that: People make lists of what they want to buy There are aisles to help you know where things are People use a cart People buy all kinds of things You have to pay for the food This book is definitely going to remind me of my family because I go shopping all the time and I know what it is like to go shopping. Now that I have activated all of my schema, I Schema - K Page 18
Anchor Lesson 7. How making connections helps you make/revise predictions Part II am going to predict that this little boy is going shopping with his mother. Introduce the text. As you are reading, continue to predict and change your predictions as you read. Talk about how your schema is helping you to make predictions. Provide guided Invite the students to practice the strategy with teacher guidance. Provide independent Remind students before they go off to read. When you go to I.R. try Read a few pages aloud. Ask students to turn and talk with a partner about their connections and predictions Ask students to explain how their schema helped them to make their prediction. Today at independent reading, I want you to think about the connections you are making and how they are helping you to understand the text. Please remember to think about what you know about the topic before you begin and then use your schema to make your predictions. Conference Points Have you made any connections today? Show me where you made a connection in this story? What is your connection? How did that connection help you to understand the text? What were some of your predictions? What connections helped you to make those predictions? Share/Reinforce Please turn to your turn and talk partner to share any connections that you made during independent reading. I will come around and listen to your conversations. Listen in and have one or two students with strong connections share. Add 1 or 2 ideas to the anchor chart: Ways Connections Help Us (Add - As Readers) Schema - K Page 19
Anchor Lesson 8. Text to self connections Strategy Lesson Plan Title of Text: Lesson Plan: Notes to Build Next Lesson Select the materials. Choose a text that supports the strategy. Text: Vera s First Day of School, Vera Rosenbery Level: Elementary Name the strategy. Explain. We have been talking about making connections as we read. I have noticed that A strategy good readers use is Introduce the Text. Demonstrate the strategy. Say: Think aloud. Show: Model. Explain: How this will help them as a reader. Today I want to show you one type of connection that readers make when they are reading a book. Good readers compare their own life with the ideas in the text. When readers do this it is called, Making a Text-to-Self connection. Making text-to-self connections helps a reader understand and enjoy the text. Introduce the text: Vera s First Day of School Let me show you how I make text to self connections and how they help me to understand the book. Model text-to-self connections as you read. Read first few pages aloud. Text Says: She smelled her new box of crayons. I made a connection to the character with that line. She smelled her new box of crayons. Every year I would get a new box of crayons at the beginning of the year. I knew that meant it was a new year. I remember seeing all those sharp points, beautiful colors, and fresh smells. I know Vera is excited and thinking all the things she can do with those crayons. That is how I felt, so I know it is how she must be feeling. Schema - K Page 20
Anchor Lesson 8. Text to self connections Provide guided Invite the students to practice the strategy with teacher guidance. Provide independent Remind students before they go off to read. When you go to I.R. try After you have modeled several text-to-self connections, ask students to share some of the connections they are making. Today during independent reading, I would like you to think about what the text reminds you of as you are reading (Text to Self Connections).. Conference Points What text to-self connections are you making as you reading? How does making text-to-self connections help you to understand the story? Share/ Reinforce Who made a text-to-self connection as they were reading today? Explain to us how this connection helped you understand your story. Schema - K Page 21
Anchor Lesson 8. Text to self connections Making Connections Name: Date: Page # Connection: It reminds me of How does your connection help you understand the text? Schema - K Page 22
Anchor Lesson 8. Text to self connections Name: Title: Page # Text to Self Connections Schema - K Page 23
Anchor Lesson 8. Text to self connections Name: Title: Page # Text to Self connections Does this connection help me understand the story better? Schema - K Page 24