Definition+and+Importance

__**Discussion of the Strategy:**__



The "making connections" reading comprehension strategy __relates__ similar ideas together. The most common areas in which the strategy helps build connections are:

1. Text to Self 2. Text to Text 3. Text to World

The strategy works by linking schema together in the brain. In this way, "new" information is linked (or connected) to old information--and thus it is easier to retrieve and use. Thinking about one topic will influence you to think of another (related) topic. Making connections while reading helps us think about and understand the text(s).

"Making connections" is useful not only as a reading comprehension strategy, but also as a world skill. Making connections is a natural way for people to not only remember, but build on, information and skills. Linking new information to old also provides a foundation and relevance for learning. Connections expand repertoires of knowledge and showcase relationships between concepts. Understanding how individual ideas relate to one another is a valuable skill, as connections make learning cohesive as opposed to segmented. Making connections also helps students think more deeply about the information they encounter; by connecting prior knowledge with new knowledge, students activate their schema and use the knowledge in their brains. As one "making connections" slogan reads, "Linking is Thinking!"

We already "make connections" in our lives, education, and teaching practice!

-Relate content area (science, social studies, math, reading, etc.) knowledge and skills to students' funds of knowledge, prerequisite content mastery, and other disciplines. (Integrating is making connections!) -Relate to peers' experiences through discussion when saying things like, "That same thing happened to me!" or "In my placement, we structure our reading block like [this] instead of how you do it like [that.]" -Make connections between teaching theory and practice--what we read in our textbooks to what we see and do in the classroom. -Notice how every single textbook and article in Proteach relates to Constructivist Learning.

__**Common questions and habits to adopt when utilizing this strategy:**__

-What does this remind you of? -How does [this text or scenario] remind me of [yourself/other text/world]? -How is this alike or different from that? -What do you know in the world that relates to this text?

__Some examples of think-alouds and questions to ask students from our lesson is found below:__

"This is known as a KWL chart. This chart will help us focus on what we want to know. It will help us make connections between what we read in the book and what we do in the world." When the class makes connections, the students recognize something in the book and connect it to their lives, so the teacher will say before reading the story, “While we read this story, I bet we can make connections to our lives.” While reading the story the teacher will say, “Wow, so the letter carrier delivers letters to people. That is cool, has anyone ever received a letter before? I have received letters from my grandparents.” While the teacher continues to read about the letter carrier she will stop and say, “I see the letter carriers come right to the mailbox to deliver the mail. Has anyone ever seen a letter carrier come to their house? I know that I have seen them delivering my mail.” When the teacher gets to the part about how the letter carrier drives in a mail truck she will say, “So letter carriers have their own special trucks to get around. Has anyone ever seen a mail truck before? When I am driving, I sometimes see them driving along.”

__**//and//**__

The teacher will say, “Yesterday we worked on making connections while we read. When we make a connection, remember, we are reminded of something when we read a book. For example, during yesterday’s story, Miss Deyarmin made a personal connection to how she sees mail carriers delivering letters in her community. The other day, Kiki shared a book about ostriches during Book Club and Jocelyn made a connection; Kiki’s book reminded her about how she actually saw an ostrich in real-life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Those are two examples of ways we connect our own lives with what we read. There’s another way we can make connections, though, and so today we are going to make connections between one book and another. I want you to think about the story Miss Deyarmin read yesterday, because we’re going to be comparing—or finding things that are the same—in that book and in the one I’m about to read you. Every time I read something that reminds you of something else, I want you to put your hand on your head. Let’s see how many connections we can make!”

During the read-aloud, the teacher will model and self-talk text --> text as well as text --> self and text --> world connections. For example, the teacher might say, “This book mentions the post office. This reminds me of the other book, because it talked about the post office too. Both of them talk about the post office; wow, that must be a really important connection!” Or the teacher might say, “This book mentions mail carriers just like the other book, but this one has more detail about mail carriers’ jobs. I still see a similarity, though, so I’m going to say there’s a connection there.” At the end of the story, the teacher might exclaim, “Aw, this story makes me think of the time my sister sent me a birthday card in the mail. I was so happy to get something in my mailbox, just like this girl looks happy to receive a letter from her friend!”

At the end of the read-aloud, the teacher will ask the students, “How many connections did we make? Did this book remind you a lot of the other one? Were there a lot of things the same, or were there a lot of things different? What connections did we make?” The teacher will then lead the class in filling out a Venn Diagram, one circle per each text used in these lessons.

__//**and**//__

Specific dialogue includes the teacher introducing the workshop by saying, “Today we are going to continue working on our ‘making connections’ strategy and on learning about community helpers. We make a connection when we think of one thing, and it reminds us of something else. For example, when I saw the hats you made yesterday for St. Patrick’s Day, I was reminded of leprechauns. I noticed there was something similar—or the same—about two things. I made a connection. We worked with these circles the other day, remember? One circle talks about one thing, the other circle talks about one thing, and the part in the middle—see this area where both the circles are?—this is where the connections or the similarities go. This chart is called a venn diagram, and it helps us make connections between ideas.” While talking, the teacher will model and gesture to each area of the venn diagram while it is being described. “If I wanted to use this venn diagram chart to compare you and a leprechaun, here is how I would do it.” The teacher would label each circle ‘Kindergartner’ and ‘leprechaun,’ respectively. “In this circle, which is about you the Kindergartner, I would write or draw that you made traps. You did that, not the leprechauns. Over here, in the leprechaun circle, I’m going to write that they made a mess. Remember how they made a HUGE mess yesterday? You came into the classroom and the toilet was green and your traps were knocked over? You didn’t make the toilet green; the leprechauns did. In the middle here, I’m going to write that you BOTH wore green hats. Both you and the leprechauns wore green hats, so I’m putting it here in the ‘connection’ area of the circles. Remember, one circle is about one thing, the other circle is about the other thing—what you’re comparing the first thing to—and the middle area is for details about //both// things. We’re going to work on this together. We’re going to use this chart—this venn diagram—to compare your jobs as community helpers."

“A community is a place where people work and help each other. We talked about how this school is a community, and you’re all part of this community because you all help one another here in the classroom. And since you’re all part of this school and class community, you help each other; you have certain jobs that you do. I’m making a connection because when I say ‘jobs,’ that reminds me of your job chart in the other room. But it’s more than that, too. Even if you don’t have an actual job one day, isn’t it everyone’s job to be nice to their friends? What else do you do to help your community?”

"If you do that job at BOTH places—at school and home—then write that job in the middle connection area."

"Can you be a good community helper at home and at school? How? What things can you do to help people at both places? What connections can we make?”"