Schema is basically defined as knowledge and it is used to understand and make sense of new concepts and ideas. In regard to reading comprehension, activating schema will help a child relate to a text and increase his comprehension. For instance, if you're reading a book about cats and you have a cat, your child will draw from what he knows about cats to make sense of the information presented in the book. To activate this prior knowledge, ask him to read the title of a book and make predictions about the text based on the title, the images and his prior knowledge.
While reading the text, perhaps the easiest way to develop comprehension skills is by asking questions. Stop and ask your child to predict what will happen next; ask her how she feels about what is happening; inquire if she can relate to what is happening; invite her to recap what has already happened. Through these simple questions, you help her stay on task and make sense of what she is reading.
After you have read a book, put your child's comprehension of what he has read to the test by encouraging him to sequence the events that occurred. Photocopy images from the story and ask him to arrange them in the order that they happened. Write out brief summaries describing what happened in each part and ask him to arrange them in the correct order or have him write his own sequencing summaries.
Engage your child in a craft making activity after reading a story to deepen her understanding of what she has read. Craft making serves as an enjoyable nonverbal medium enabling children to process deeply and make connections with what they have read. Offer your child clay and encourage her to sculpt images that represent what happened in the story. Provide her with paint and paintbrushes and ask her to paint a picture that illustrates the main idea of the story. Use magazines, craft pom-poms and other art materials to encourage her to make a collage illustrating what happened in the story.
When teaching reinforcing reading comprehension in your child, it is important to select books that are age and skill-level appropriate. You may consider choosing titles from a recommended reading list provided by your child's third grade teacher, or you may select titles that are specifically geared toward the interests and expected reading level of third grade students. Some titles that are ideal choices for this age group include "Swimming with Sharks" by Betty Hicks, "Pirates Drive Buses" by Christopher Morgan and "Third Grade Baby" by Jennifer Meyerhoff. If you have questions regarding the types of books that you should use with your child, consult with her teacher to ensure you are selecting titles that are appropriate for her independent reading level.