This paper develops the thesis that the knowledge a person possesses has a potent influence on what he or she will learn and remember from exposure to discourse. After outlining some assumptions about the characteristics of the structures (schemata) in which existing knowledge is packaged, a theory of the processes involved in assimilating the information and ideas in discourse is developed. Data consistent with the theory are summarized from a variety of experiments. Educational implications of schema theory are also discussed. (AA)