Making Connections

I have found that when students make connections while reading they tend to comprehend and remember the information.  With this strategy, students make personal connections to the text via text-to-text connections (relating the new text to previously read information), text-to-self connections (connection to text based on a personal experience) and text-to-world (relating the text to something happening in the world). 

The website http://www.readingresource.net/strategiesforreadingcomprehension.html has different examples of how to focus on making connections while reading.  One example provided focuses on using story vocabulary to lead to connections based on those vocabulary words.  The students can either write their connections or draw pictures to show their understanding of the topic.  The use of pictures has been effective for my students who are English Learners as they are more willing to participate when the English demands are lower. 

Image Retrieved from http://teacherificfun.blogspot.com/2012/11/anchor-charts.html
I have used a chart similar to the one above in my classroom for students to reference during a discussion.  I use similar sentence starters/frames throughout discussions for students to reference during the discussion.  I have also used independent sheets similar to this one during independent reading and small group reading.  These sheets provide students with the opportunity to draw their connection as well as write their connections.

Image retrieved from: http://teacherificfun.blogspot.com/2012/11/anchor-charts.html