Minds On
Connecting to texts
There are many different ways to make connections.
We can make different connections to the books or texts we read. (A text is another way of saying “book” or something that we read.)
Let's explore a book with Boomer and the Book Hungry Bears called Picture the Sky by Barbara Reid.
Connections
Connecting to the story
As you explore the book, think about these questions:
- How does this story relate to my life?
- What does this remind me of in my life?
- What are my feelings as I read this story?
Record your ideas in a notebook or another method of your choice.
Video
Explore this video to discover the story of Picture the Sky.
Action
Three kinds of connections
What you have just practised doing is called making text-to-self connections!
Making connections is a reading strategy that we can use to better understand what we are reading. There are three ways we can make connections:
- text-to-self
- text-to-world
- text-to-text
For examples of these types of connection, explore these three images:
Kite in tree
Text-to-Self Connection: “This story reminds me of the time my kite got stuck in a tree, just like the main character.”
Sitting in front of a screen
Text-to-World Connection: “This part of the book makes me think of the year 2020 when schools closed so that people could stay safe during the pandemic.”
Thinking of a butterfly
Text-to-Text Connection: “I read another book similar to this one about butterflies that explained the life cycle of a butterfly.”
Practise making connections
Think of stories that you have recently read that remind you of a person or a situation in your life.
This is called a text-to-self connection.
Use these sentence starters to help you make text-to-self connections:
- This part in the book reminds me of…
- This book is similar to my life because…
- This book is different from my life because…
Record your ideas in a notebook or another method of your choice.
Consolidation
Now you choose the book!
Choose a book or an audiobook that you like. Complete Making Text-to-Self Connections in your notebook or use the following fillable and printable document. You can record your connections any way you like: by writing, drawing, using speech-to-text software, or making an audio recording.
Be sure to also describe or draw the part of the story that you are making a connection to!
| The story This part of the book… |
My life Reminds me of the time… |
|---|---|
Press the ‘Activity’ button to access the Making Text-to-Self Connections.
Student Success
Think-Pair-Share
If possible, share your text-to-self connection with a partner. A great way to practice making connections is to share connections!
Note to teachers: See your teacher guide for collaboration tools, ideas and suggestions.
Reflection
How do you feel about what you have learned in this activity? Which of the next four sentences best matches how you are feeling about your learning? Press the button that is beside this sentence.
I feel...
Now, record your ideas about your feelings using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.