Model Connections to Text

Overview

Teachers sharing text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections models this schema building. As learners learn how to draw connections while reading a text, they activate additional cognitive processes, build on their Background Knowledge, and strengthen their reading comprehension. This strategy also supports the practice of culturally responsive teaching and can be used with other strategies that allow representation of all learners in the curriculum.

Use It in the Classroom

Watch how this elementary teacher models text-to-self connections with the support of sentence starters. After seeing this strategy with a read-aloud, students apply the sentence starters to draw their own connections to the text.

Modeling the three types of connections during a read-aloud serves as a guide for students when they read independently. Using language and sentence starters like "When I read this part, I thought about…," "This is similar to…," or "This reminds me of…" provides concrete examples of what it sounds like to make a connection with the text. Additionally, allowing students to practice making connections after the teacher modeling reinforces the strategy.

Design It into Your Product

Videos are chosen as examples of strategies in action. These choices are not endorsements of the products or evidence of use of research to develop the feature.

See how products like PaperPort Notes allow learners to annotate text and images. By recording their notes directly on each document, learners can easily access and revisit them at a later time. Digital reading products could adapt this type of annotation tool to include functionalities such as speech-to-text, audio recording, and drawing, as well as typing, to record connections on a text.

Products can include features that allow learners to record their connections as they read. These can be embedded in the text, like annotations, or in a separate location that can be revisited later. Teachers can then talk with students about their recorded connection to encourage self-reflection and growth.

View References

Resources

Below are additional examples, research, and professional development. These resources are possible representations of this strategy, not endorsements.

Encourage Students' Engagement with Text

Reading Rockets description of and suggestions for making connections

Facilitating Text-based Discussions

The importance of facilitating text-based discussions from Digital Promise's Ask a Researcher

How to Model Effectively

Module by Sanford Inspire

Making Connections

Blue Ribbon Readers lesson plan on making connections

Making Connections Strategy Guide

ReadWriteThink guide and sample lesson plans