{"id":22254,"date":"2026-09-18T12:20:40","date_gmt":"2026-09-18T17:20:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thesummitprep.org\/k-explorers\/?p=22254"},"modified":"2026-09-18T12:22:35","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T17:22:35","slug":"what-is-schema","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thesummitprep.org\/k-explorers\/2026\/09\/18\/what-is-schema\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Schema?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ask your kindergartener, \u201cWhat is schema?\u201d and they will likely point to their brain and respond with, \u201cIt\u2019s the stuff already inside your brain!\u201d In our class, kindergarten students have been discussing what schema means and how we can use it when reading or listening to a story. Schema can also be understood as prior knowledge. It includes everything in your brain that you can draw upon to make connections to something new. This encompasses the places you\u2019ve been, the stories you\u2019ve read, the people you know, the movies you\u2019ve watched, your past experiences, and more.<\/span><\/p>\n

To enhance their understanding, students created self-portraits incorporating elements that represent their connections. As a class, we\u2019ve practiced making relevant connections to our schema, using it to enhance our understanding of nonfiction books, fiction books, and a character\u2019s feelings or actions. Students are becoming increasingly skilled at using their schema to understand stories better.<\/span><\/p>\n

Questions you can use to activate your child\u2019s schema at home include:<\/span><\/p>\n