Katie, a Struggling Reader in Your Fourth-Grade Class, Was Having

Essay

Katie, a struggling reader in your fourth-grade class, was having difficulty with comprehension. The most recent story that she read was about skateboarding, and you noticed that it seemed particularly difficult for her. Remembering what you know about the influence of schemata on comprehension, you wonder if her lack of experience with skateboarding may have influenced her understanding. You know that Katie is on the local gymnastics team, so you find a story about Simone Biles, an Olympic gymnast, and use it for the next guided reading lesson with Katie's group. After the group reads the story, you ask Katie about the connections she made to people, places, and events in the story. Katie replies, "What do you mean? What kind of connections am I supposed to make?" This reply indicates that Katie does not realize that she should be using schemata to help her comprehend. What will you do to help Katie use her schemata while reading?