Connecting Texts

Hello!

Kids comprehend better when they make connections with the books/texts they read.
By comprehension I mean, 'making meaning' of texts. A purpose for engaging with the text becomes necessary to be able to enjoy it.

Building connections is a strategy that can help kids comprehend and relate with the text better. 

There are mainly three types of connections that a child can make:

• Text-to-Self - connecting the text to yourself and your experiences
• Text-to Text - connecting the text with another book that you might have read
• Text-to-World - connecting the text with events in real-world

Text-to-self connections are personal connections that a reader makes between a piece of reading material and the reader’s own experiences or life. 

Example:  "This story reminds me of the time when I visited my grandmother's house and we cooked biryani together."

Sometimes while reading, students make connections with other similar texts/stories/books that they have read. These are text-to-text connections. 

Example: "The cover of this book reminds me of  the book, 'Granny Torelli Makes Soup', which I read last year in grade 04."


Text-to-world connections are larger connections that goes far beyond our personal experiences. 
Students here make connections with the events happening in the world which they may have come across through television, newspapers, movies, etc.

Example: "I was watching a program on T.V. last night, it talked about similar events as in this article."

To effectively used this strategy, demonstrate or model for students how to make connections. 

The simplest is text-to-self, so we can start with that. You could read a book to your kids and use phrases like, 'this reminds me of a time.....' or 'this reminds me of...' to make connections between the book and your life. In a similar way ask the kids to build such connections and share with all.
Once they are familiar with making connections with self, move on with the other two types.  

I am sharing a few connecting statements that you could use as prompts for class discussions.

This part reminds me of....

I felt like...(character) when I....

If that happened to me I would....

This book reminds me of...(another text) because....

I can relate to...(part of text) because one time....

Something similar happened to me when....

You could also use the following questions to help kids connect.

                                                     Text-to-self:

What does this remind me of?

How is this different from what happened with me?

Has something like this ever happened to me?

How did I feel?

                                                     Text-to-text:

Which other books of the same author have I read?

How is this text similar to other texts I’ve read?

How is this different from other books I’ve read?

Have I read about something like this before?

                                                     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? 

Keep Reading, Keep Connecting!!