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What type of student does this strategy help?
This strategy helps students who struggle with comprehension. It allows the student to dig deeper and connect real world examples to what they are reading. Students in grades 3-6 benefit from this strategy the most because they are beyond decoding instruction. (Allen, 2015)
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Strategy in PracticeBefore practicing this strategy in the classroom, create a list of personal connections to the particular text for which you will be modeling this strategy.
Explain to students that you are going to practice the comprehension strategy of making connections to find ways that students can personally relate to a text. Ask students to think about the following questions. You may choose to write these on the board or chart paper for students to see Focusing on text-to-self connections:
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Examples of Making Connections Strategy
Book List Possibilities for using the strategy of Making Connections
Theme: Family
Ada, Alma Flor. I Love Saturdays y domingos. Illustrated by Elivia Savadier. Atheneum, 2002. 32 pages
Hamanaka, Sheila. Grandparents Song. HarperCollins, 2003. 32 pages
Jenkins, Emily. Five Creatures. Illustrated by Tomek Bogacki. Scholastic, 2001. 32 pages
Kuklin, Susan. Families. Hyperion, 2005. 40 pages
Little, Jean. Emma's Yucky Brother. Illustrated by Jennifer Plecas. (An I Can Read Book ) HarperCollins, 2001. 64 pages
Nye, Naomi. Sitti's Secrets. Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter. Four Winds Press, 1994. 32 pages
Theme: School
Ajmera, Maya and John D. Ivanko. Back to School. Charlesbridge, 2001. 32 pages
Creech, Sharon. A Fine, Fine School. Illustrated by Harry Bliss. HarperCollins, 2001. 32 pages
Choi, Yansook. The Name Jar. Alfred A. Knopf, 2001. 32 pages
Edwards, Michelle. Pa Lia's First Day. (A Jackson Friends Book) Harcourt, 1999. 50 pages
Moss, Peggy. Say Something. Illustrated by Lea Lyon. Tilbury House, 2004. 32 pages
Paterson, Katherine. Marvin One Too Many. Illustrated by Jane Clark Brown. (An I Can Read Book) HarperCollins, 2001. 48 pages
Theme: Friendship
Grimes, Nikki. Danitra Brown Leaves Town. Illustrated by Floyd Cooper. HarperCollins, 2002. 32 pages
English, Karen. A Hot Day on Abbott Avenue. Illustrated by Javaka Steptoe. Clarion, 2004. 32 pages
Kasza, Keiko. The Rat and the Tiger. Putnam, 1993. 32 pages
Pinkney, Andrea Davis. Solo Girl. Illustrated by Nneka Bennett. Hyperion, 1997. 51 pages
Rogers, Fred. Extraordinary Friends. Photographs by Jim Judkis. Putnam, 1999. 32 pages
Zolotow, Charlotte. My Friend John. Illustrated by Amanda Harvey. Random House, 2000. 32 pages (Making Connections, 2015)
Ada, Alma Flor. I Love Saturdays y domingos. Illustrated by Elivia Savadier. Atheneum, 2002. 32 pages
Hamanaka, Sheila. Grandparents Song. HarperCollins, 2003. 32 pages
Jenkins, Emily. Five Creatures. Illustrated by Tomek Bogacki. Scholastic, 2001. 32 pages
Kuklin, Susan. Families. Hyperion, 2005. 40 pages
Little, Jean. Emma's Yucky Brother. Illustrated by Jennifer Plecas. (An I Can Read Book ) HarperCollins, 2001. 64 pages
Nye, Naomi. Sitti's Secrets. Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter. Four Winds Press, 1994. 32 pages
Theme: School
Ajmera, Maya and John D. Ivanko. Back to School. Charlesbridge, 2001. 32 pages
Creech, Sharon. A Fine, Fine School. Illustrated by Harry Bliss. HarperCollins, 2001. 32 pages
Choi, Yansook. The Name Jar. Alfred A. Knopf, 2001. 32 pages
Edwards, Michelle. Pa Lia's First Day. (A Jackson Friends Book) Harcourt, 1999. 50 pages
Moss, Peggy. Say Something. Illustrated by Lea Lyon. Tilbury House, 2004. 32 pages
Paterson, Katherine. Marvin One Too Many. Illustrated by Jane Clark Brown. (An I Can Read Book) HarperCollins, 2001. 48 pages
Theme: Friendship
Grimes, Nikki. Danitra Brown Leaves Town. Illustrated by Floyd Cooper. HarperCollins, 2002. 32 pages
English, Karen. A Hot Day on Abbott Avenue. Illustrated by Javaka Steptoe. Clarion, 2004. 32 pages
Kasza, Keiko. The Rat and the Tiger. Putnam, 1993. 32 pages
Pinkney, Andrea Davis. Solo Girl. Illustrated by Nneka Bennett. Hyperion, 1997. 51 pages
Rogers, Fred. Extraordinary Friends. Photographs by Jim Judkis. Putnam, 1999. 32 pages
Zolotow, Charlotte. My Friend John. Illustrated by Amanda Harvey. Random House, 2000. 32 pages (Making Connections, 2015)
Strategy Related To Content
Literacy -
When teaching this lesson, the students will listen or read the story and use the graphic organizer listed above. This allows the students to deepen their knowledge and comprehension of the text they are reading. In literacy it is pretty self explanatory in the paragraphs above as to what to ask for questions to the students. |
Mathematics -
When teaching a lesson where students are to make connections to the text in math, the students would read their text books word problems and connect to the word problems to better comprehend what the problem might be asking. For example, connecting the text to self by using your name instead of the name listed so it is more relatable. |
Science -
When teaching a lesson in science that deals with making connections, have the students read research papers on lab results. This will be a very hard text for them to comprehend. It will challenge the students to use their making connections strategy to comprehend the material that they are reading. |
Resources
Allen, C. (2015). Making Connections - ReadWriteThink. Retrieved October 2, 2015, from http://www.readwritethink.org/professional-development/strategy-guides/making-connections-30659.html
Image Links are accessed by clicking on the picture itself
Into the Book. (2015). Making Connections. Retrieved October 1, 2015, from http://reading.ecb.org/teacher/makingconnections.html
Wheedleton, K. (2015). Making Connections in Reading Comprehension. Retrieved October 1, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaXSArreF0A
Image Links are accessed by clicking on the picture itself
Into the Book. (2015). Making Connections. Retrieved October 1, 2015, from http://reading.ecb.org/teacher/makingconnections.html
Wheedleton, K. (2015). Making Connections in Reading Comprehension. Retrieved October 1, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaXSArreF0A