diff --git a/src/dask_awkward/lib/io/json.py b/src/dask_awkward/lib/io/json.py
index dd4deee26..f2d5befe0 100644
--- a/src/dask_awkward/lib/io/json.py
+++ b/src/dask_awkward/lib/io/json.py
@@ -471,3 +471,101 @@ def to_json(
     if compute:
         res.compute()
     return res
+
+
+def layout_to_jsonschema(layout, input=None):
+    """Convert awkward array Layout to a JSON Schema dictionary."""
+    if input is None:
+        input = {"type": "object", "properties": {}}
+    if layout.is_RecordType:
+        input["type"] = "object"
+        input["properties"] = {}
+        for field in layout.fields:
+            input["properties"][field] = {"type": None}
+            layout_to_jsonschema(layout[field], input["properties"][field])
+    elif layout.is_ListType:
+        input["type"] = "array"
+        input["items"] = {}
+        layout_to_jsonschema(layout.content, input["items"])
+    elif layout.dtype.kind == "i":
+        input["type"] = "integer"
+    elif layout.dtype.kind == "f":
+        input["type"] = "number"
+    elif layout.dtype.kind.lower() in "uso":
+        input["type"] = "string"
+    return input
+
+
+def form_to_jsonschema(form, input=None):
+    """Convert awkward array Layout to a JSON Schema dictionary."""
+    if input is None:
+        input = {"type": "object", "properties": {}}
+    if form.is_RecordType:
+        input["type"] = "object"
+        input["properties"] = {}
+        for field, content in zip(form.fields, form.contents):
+            input["properties"][field] = {"type": None}
+            form_to_jsonschema(content, input["properties"][field])
+    elif form.parameters.get("__array__") == "string":
+        input["type"] = "string"
+    elif form.is_ListType:
+        input["type"] = "array"
+        input["items"] = {}
+        form_to_jsonschema(form.content, input["items"])
+    elif "int" in form.type.primitive:
+        input["type"] = "integer"
+    elif "float" in form.type.primitive:
+        input["type"] = "number"
+    elif hasattr(form, "content"):
+        form_to_jsonschema(form.content, input)
+    else:
+        raise ValueError
+    return input
+
+
+def form_to_dict(form):
+    """Convert awkward array Layout to a JSON Schema dictionary."""
+    if form.is_RecordType:
+        out = {}
+        for field, content in zip(form.fields, form.contents):
+            out[field] = form_to_dict(content)
+        return out
+    elif form.parameters.get("__array__") == "string":
+        return "string"
+    elif form.is_ListType:
+        return [form_to_dict(form.content)]
+    elif hasattr(form, "content"):
+        return form_to_dict(form.content)
+    else:
+        return form.type.primitive
+
+
+def ak_schema_repr(arr):
+    import yaml
+
+    return yaml.dump(arr.layout.form)
+
+
+def _read_beginning_compressed(
+    storage: AbstractFileSystem,
+    source: str,
+    compression: str | None,
+    n_lines: int = 5,
+) -> ak.Array:
+    lines = []
+    with storage.open(source, mode="rt", compression=compression) as f:
+        for i, line in enumerate(f):
+            if i >= n_lines:
+                break
+            lines.append(ak.from_json(line))
+        return ak.from_iter(lines)
+
+
+def _read_beginning_uncompressed(
+    storage: AbstractFileSystem,
+    source: str,
+    numbytes: int = 16384,
+) -> ak.Array:
+    bytes = storage.cat(source, start=0, end=numbytes)
+    array = ak.concatenate([ak.from_json(line) for line in bytes.split(b"\n")[:-1]])
+    return array