Vocabulary & Schema

After reviewing our K1 data walls, we are noticing a need for more vocabulary instruction.  Our students may not have had the opportunity to experience some things that they are being asked to read about and they are missing the vocabulary to go along with those experiences.  One way that we can support vocabulary is through explicit instruction on SCHEMA.  

Students with a deep understanding of vocabulary obtained that understanding by growing their schema.  

I love this visual for teaching vocabulary!

*Now,  I know that we can't take our students on all the trips and provide all of the experiences that they need to grow their schema but there are ways that we can support it. 

Remember our VR Headsets?  They are waiting to be checked out in the library.  You can take your students on a virtual field trip!  CLICK here to revisit my blog post on VR Headsets! 

Here are some ways to explicitly teach schema to young readers:

I LOVE this little idea below.  Such a great way for our students to show what they already know about a topic.  

This could be done simply with a generic head cutout and some crayons.  Students could draw the images instead of cutting. 

I would use one color for their schema before they read and then another after reading.  

Then they could analyze their illustrations and see how much knowledge on a topic they gained from reading.  

I created a template for you to use in your classrooms.  Just click the image to download!

Making Connections to our Text: If you read farther into the book Comprehension Connections on page 37 you will run across the idea of Concentric Circles of Connections.  This is simply teaching students to make connections to texts using their schema.  Check out the anchor chart below! 

Here is a great video from Pow Toons about the different types of connections that students make to the text. 

Don't forget about our SCHEMA Sticks!

Oh MY!   If you haven't jumped on the SCHEMA train yet this blog post from Miss Decarbo will get you on board!  It is filled with tons!!!!! of great information about why we need to start teaching young learners about how to activate their schema!

Adding to our schema increases our vocabulary and betters our ability to comprehend.