USING SCHEMATA IN READING COMPREHENSION

Abstract

The acquisition of new knowledge is in great measure dependent on reading comprehension. It is a function of the nature of the text itself and of the extent to which the reader possesses, uses, and integrates pertinent background knowledge, or schemata. There three types of schemata, namely: linguistic, formal, and content schemata. Linguistic schemata refer to readers’ existing language proficiency in vocabulary, grammar and sentence structure. Formal schemata, on the other hand, refer to the organizational forms and rhetorical structures of written texts. Finally, content schemata refer to the knowledge relative to the content domain of reading materials. Schema theory is a general theory of knowledge. Understanding the concept of schemata will help those interested in reading comprehension to understand how readers can acquire new knowledge and also how we might help readers in this endeavor.

Key Words: schemata, reading comprehension