Making Connections In Reading
Our Previous experiences, knowledge, emotions and understandings affect what and how we learn. Good readers draw upon prior knowledge and experience to help them understand what they are reading and thus able to use that knowledge to make connections. By teaching students how to connect to text they are able to better understand what they are reading. Accessing prior knowledge and experiences is a good starting place when teaching strategies because every child has experiences, knowledge, opinions and emotions they can draw upon. Students comprehend better when they make different kinds of connections.
Text-to-self
Connections are highly personal connections that a reader makes between a piece of reading material and the reader’s own life experiences. An example of text-to-self connection might be, “This story reminds me of a vacation we took to my grandfather’s farm.”
Text-to-text
Connections are made when reading other books from the same author, stories from a similar genre, or stories about the same topic. An example of text-to-text connection might be, “ This character has the same problem that I read about in a story last month.”
Text-to-world
Connections are the larger connection that a reader brings to a reading situation. We learn about things through television, movies, magazines, and newspapers. An example of text-to-world connection might be, “ I saw a television show that talked about things describes in the story I am reading.”
Text-to-self
Connections are highly personal connections that a reader makes between a piece of reading material and the reader’s own life experiences. An example of text-to-self connection might be, “This story reminds me of a vacation we took to my grandfather’s farm.”
Text-to-text
Connections are made when reading other books from the same author, stories from a similar genre, or stories about the same topic. An example of text-to-text connection might be, “ This character has the same problem that I read about in a story last month.”
Text-to-world
Connections are the larger connection that a reader brings to a reading situation. We learn about things through television, movies, magazines, and newspapers. An example of text-to-world connection might be, “ I saw a television show that talked about things describes in the story I am reading.”
Making Connection Questions
Below are questions to ask your child while reading to enhance their connections.
Text-to-self
• What does this remind me of in my life?
• What is this similar to in my life?
• How is this different from my life?
• Has something like this ever happened to me?
• How does this relate to my life?
• What were my feelings when I read this story?
• Have I been to a place like the setting in the story?
• Do I know a person like the character in the story?
• Is the character like me?
• Are there topics you know about or events in your life that help you to understand this book?
• When you read the book did it remind you of anything you know about?
• We have talked about the connection you made to this text. What do you understand now that you didn’t understand before?
• If that happened to me I would ... •
Text-to-text
• What does this remind me of in another book I’ve read?
• How is this text similar to other things I’ve read?
• How is this different from other books I’ve read?
• Have I read about something like this before?
• Is the setting in this book similar to the setting in another book?
• Is the character in this book similar to a character in another book?
Text-to-world
• What does this remind me of in the real world?
• How is this text similar to things that happen in the real world?
• How is this different from things that happen in the real world?
• How did that part relate to the world around me?
• What do you know about the books topic?
Text-to-self
• What does this remind me of in my life?
• What is this similar to in my life?
• How is this different from my life?
• Has something like this ever happened to me?
• How does this relate to my life?
• What were my feelings when I read this story?
• Have I been to a place like the setting in the story?
• Do I know a person like the character in the story?
• Is the character like me?
• Are there topics you know about or events in your life that help you to understand this book?
• When you read the book did it remind you of anything you know about?
• We have talked about the connection you made to this text. What do you understand now that you didn’t understand before?
• If that happened to me I would ... •
Text-to-text
• What does this remind me of in another book I’ve read?
• How is this text similar to other things I’ve read?
• How is this different from other books I’ve read?
• Have I read about something like this before?
• Is the setting in this book similar to the setting in another book?
• Is the character in this book similar to a character in another book?
Text-to-world
• What does this remind me of in the real world?
• How is this text similar to things that happen in the real world?
• How is this different from things that happen in the real world?
• How did that part relate to the world around me?
• What do you know about the books topic?