Connecticut Foundations of Reading Test (FORT) Practice

In what way does schema play a role in reading comprehension?

1. It distracts from the text

2. It helps organize knowledge related to the text

3. It solely determines text length

4. It has no effect on fluency

The correct answer is: It helps organize knowledge related to the text

Schema plays a significant role in reading comprehension by helping individuals organize and integrate their prior knowledge with the information presented in a text. When readers have a well-developed schema about a specific topic, they can make connections between what they already know and the new information. This mental framework allows them to better understand, predict, and interpret the text. For instance, if a reader is familiar with the concept of ecosystems and encounters a passage about climate change, their existing schema enables them to grasp the text's implications more readily. They can relate new ideas to their prior understanding, which enhances their overall comprehension of the material and increases retention. In contrast, the other options suggest various misunderstandings about how schema operates. Distraction from the text does not contribute to comprehension; in fact, effective schemas focus attention rather than detract from it. Schema does not determine text length, as the length of a text is based on its content and purpose, not on the reader's prior knowledge. Lastly, while schema does interact with fluency, it does not fail to influence it; rather, a strong schema can support smoother reading by enabling quicker and more accurate processing of the information, which aids fluency.