Schema
Schema is all the information you already know about a topic. Smart readers activate their schema before reading and continue to use their schema as they read and think about texts.
Schema Sentence Stems: I already knew... This topic is familiar to me because... I have schema for... I can relate to ... because I know My background knowledge on the topic is... I am remembering... |
Making Connections
Making connections between a text and yourself, another text, the world or media can help you understand what is happening in your reading. Be sure to make MEANINGFUL connections that bring a greater understanding of the texts you read.
Ex. I can connect to Ada when she fell of her horse because I had trouble scoring a goal. It helps me to understand how frustrated she felt when she struggled to do something she wanted to be able to do. Making Connections Sentence Stems: ...reminds me of when I read...because... ...reminds me of the time I... because... I read another book where... This character reminds me of ... because... The problem in this story reminds me of when ... because... |
Visualizing
Smart readers use the author's words to make a mental picture of what is happening in a text. It is also helpful to sketch what you imagine. Your visualizations should be similar but not exactly the same as others because you each bring your own schema to your visualizations.
Visualizing Sentence Stems: I am picturing...because... My mental image is... because... I can imagine... When .... happened, I could picture... |
Predicting
Predicting is a skill readers use before, during and after their reading. It helps keep the reader thinking about the text and using what they read. Predictions can be based on the title, illustrations or descriptions the author includes.
Predicting Sentence Stems: I predict that...because... I think that ... will happen next because... This makes me think that ... will happen because... I predict the main character will... because... I predict the problem will be solved by...because... |
Questioning
Thoughtful readers ask questions before, during and after reading. Some questions can be answered right in the text. Other questions require a reader to combine their schema and the text together to answer.
Questioning Sentence Stems: I wonder...? I was confused when... Who? What? Where? When? Why? How could...? What if ...? What does the author mean when...? |
Determining Importance
When readers think about what they have read, they need to decide which details are most important to remember and which details are less important. Sometimes an author will give you clues about what is most important by using headings or repeating information.
Determining Importance Sentence Stems: ...is important in this book because... One idea that I notice is important is... I know ... is important because ... The text was mostly about.. The author really wanted me to understand... The important events were ... The important details were... |
Inferencing
When readers make inferences, it is like putting together a puzzle. Readers use clues from the text and their schema to understand what is not stated in the text.
Ex. Kari was shivering and her teeth were chattering as huddled in her wet towel. The text doesn't say it but we can infer Kari is cold from either swimming or showering. Inferencing Sentence stems: Based on..., I can conclude that... It could be that... Based on the evidence in the text, it could meant that... When the character said..., I think they felt... I think they said... because... I infer that... This clue in the book made me think... |
Synthesizing
Reading can, and should, change the way a reader thinks. A reader may gain a new understanding of a topic, they may gain a deeper understanding of a topic or it may change a reader's understanding. These are all a type of synthesizing. Remember, synthesizing is not the same as summarizing.
Synthesizing Sentence Stems: Now I understand why... I used to think... I am changing my mind about... My new thinking is... At first I thought..., but now I think... This made me think of...., and now I realize... I already knew.., and now I learned... I understand this better because... |