As an elementary school teacher, one of the very first things I taught my kids was to make text connections. When a child connects with what they are listening to or reading they are more likely to remember it.
By teaching children to make specific connections, you help them to begin to create files in their brains to help organize and store information. This makes retrieving information easier and sets up years of good reader habits.
Text Connections
There are three main kinds of text connections that you want to begin talking with your child about: text-to-self connections, text-to-text connection and text-to world connections.
Text-to-Self
Text-to-self connections are when a reader finds something in the text that reminds them of themselves or something they, personally, have done.
The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant is a great book to start making text-to-self connections.
You can easily model this by stopping at a few different parts and saying, “This reminds me of the time I…” You can prompt your child by asking if it reminds them of anything they have done, or that you have done together.
Text-to-Text
Text-to-text connections are a bit trickier, esp for younger kids. This type of connection is when you make specific connections between two books or a book and a movie or show.
Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe is a great book to start making text-to-text connections since it is similar to Cinderella.
You can easily model this by stopping at a few points and saying, “This reminds me of that other book we read (insert name). When (first event in current book) happens it’s similar to when (second event in second text).”
Text-to-World
Text-to-world connections are when a reader makes a connection between the current text and something that is happening in the world (that they are not involved in).
The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry is a great book to start making text-to-world connections.
You can model this by saying, “When (something the character does) reminds me of (event in the world).” For example, if the main character jumps rope, maybe you say, “When Grace pretends to be a spider, it reminds me of the tarantula that lives at the zoo.”
Teaching children to make text connections while reading is a skill that will help them to become better readers by modeling the habit of interacting with text.
Do you find yourself modeling these connections while reading with your kids?
