4:1 Schema-Theoretic View (of Reading)

When and Where Did I Find It:   I found this in our Dreher and Singer (2001, p. 102) article that we read for this week.  

What it means:   It is a theoretical model which describes reading comprehension.   Specifically, it characterizes comprehension as the result of the interaction between three major components "reader resources, text features, and the learner's goal"  (Dreher & Singer, p. 102).   This model is heavily based on the interactive model of reading which highlights the interaction between the reader and the text, implying the comprehension is the result of the "give and take" that occurs as the reader uses the cues from the text to build and hone his/her own knowledge of the subject that is being written about.  


             ________________________________________________________________
                               Text                          Reader        
                               Features <-------->   Resources  ---------> Goal
             Figure 1. from Dreher & Singer, 2001, p. 102                                                                                                                         


Level of Familiarity:   This is not a new phrase, but I think it is always useful for me to slow down my reading at this stage in the article to carefully (re)consider and re-confirm my understanding of how this model of reading comprehension is similar to and different from a transactional model of reading (Rosenblatt). 

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why?   Yes. I think it is very helpful to know, especially because the view highlights the fundamental role the learner's schema plays in the reading comprehension process.  

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well...if so WHO and WHY?:   This model of reading is particularly important for Literacy Specialists (LTED 625 students) to fully understand how this particularly theoretical model of reading does influence the instructional methods used to teach comprehension.   In this model, there is less attention to the aesthetic stance or aesthetic engagement and instead there is more instructional activities designed to foster students' abilities to recognize text features, set purposes for reading (learning), activating/analyzing background knowledge, maintain a disposition towards "wanting to learn" from the text.