Which theory is most directly related to helping students find meaning in reading assignments through comparisons to familiar people and events?

The correct answer is related to the concept of "schema," which refers to the mental frameworks or structures that individuals use to organize and interpret information. When students engage with new texts, they often rely on their existing knowledge and experiences—these schemas—to understand and relate to the material. By making comparisons to familiar people, events, or situations, students can create connections that enhance comprehension and retention.

In reading assignments, when students activate their schemas, they are better positioned to derive meaning from the text. For instance, if a student has a schema related to a historical event or a personal experience that is similar to what they are reading, they can relate the new information to their past experiences, making understanding and engagement more accessible.

The other options, while related to aspects of learning, do not specifically address the process of contextualizing new information through personal or familiar connections in the same way as schema theory does. Automaticity focuses on the speed and efficiency of reading skills, metacognitive strategies involve awareness and regulation of one's own learning processes, and situation models pertain to the mental representations of events described in texts rather than personal connections to those events.