IMPLEMENTATION OF A SPECIFIC SCHEMA THEORY STRATEGY TO FACILITATE READING COMPREHENSION FOR AT-RISK READERS

Format

Individual Presentation

Presenters

David C. Little, Samford UniversityFollow

First Presenter's Institution

Samford University

Second Presenter's Institution

NA

Third Presenter's Institution

NA

Fourth Presenter's Institution

NA

Fifth Presenter's Institution

NA

Location

Scarbrough 3

Strand #1

Academic Achievement & School Leadership

Relevance

This proposal closely aligns with strand #1 "Academic Achievement & School Leadership due to its emphasis on brain-based instructional practices in reading to improve at-risk readers' vocabulary and comprehension development when engaged with meaningful text.

Brief Program Description

The implementation of a specific schema theory based strategy-semantic mapping-to facilitate vocabulary development and comprehension for at-risk readers. The target audience is upper elementary, middle and high school teachers who depend on text as a major source of instruction

Summary

Research has shown that the use of pre-reading activities, such as graphic or advance organizers can positively affect student acquisition of vocabulary and meaning when reading new concepts presented in text. One particularly effective strategy, semantic mapping, can significantly impact students who previously had a lack of prior knowledge on new content reading material by assisting them to better understand the vocabulary and content of the reading material prior to actually reading the material. The strategy of semantic mapping, as with all advance and graphic organizers, is based on the theory that a student's structure of prior knowledge and experiences (schemata) related to the acquisition of new concepts is a critical element in the student becoming a successful learner and reader.

Evidence

The importance of brain-based reading instruction is supported by the concept of schema theory. This theory was developed by R. C. Anderson, a respected educational psychologist. This learning theory views organized knowledge as an elaborate network or storage system of abstract mental structures that represent an individual's understanding of concepts related to experiences and knowledge. The term schema was first used by Piaget in 1926; therefore, it is not a new concept. Anderson, however, expanded the meaning. The principles of schema theory, as espoused by Anderson (as cited in Anderson, Spiro, & Montague 1984) state that it is important to teach general knowledge and generic concepts. A large proportion of learner difficulties, especially when reading text materials, can be traced to insufficient prior general knowledge of the concepts being presented, especially in cross-cultural situations and with academically at-risk students. Therefore, teachers must help learners build schemata and make connections between ideas. Visual aids, including graphic and advance organizers, are one of several techniques used to help students develop connections between prior and new knowledge. Since prior knowledge is essential for the comprehension of new knowledge, teachers need to assist students in building prerequisite knowledge or remind them, through review, what they already know before introducing new reading material

Biographical Sketch

David C. Little

Director and professor of the early childhood/elementary fifth-year alternative graduate program

Orlean Beeson School of Education

Samford University

Birmingham Al

Keyword Descriptors

brain-based instruction, semantic mapping, vocabulary development, reading comprehension

Presentation Year

2018

Start Date

3-7-2018 11:15 AM

End Date

3-7-2018 12:30 PM

Recommended Citation

Little, David C., "IMPLEMENTATION OF A SPECIFIC SCHEMA THEORY STRATEGY TO FACILITATE READING COMPREHENSION FOR AT-RISK READERS" (2018). National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference. 75.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2018/2018/75