Connections “This time its personal.”

“What is a Comprehension Strategy?”  Reading consists of 2 different activities. –Decoding –Comprehension  A comprehension strategy is an active thinking technique which aids in focusing your mind while you read as well as aids you in creating a personal connection with a text.  Draw on prior knowledge as a way of furthering knowledge.

Connections “Finding similarities “Finding similarities between the text and other aspects of your life.” Key Phrases:  “That reminds me of…”  “Its like when…”  “Remember when…”

Types of Connections Connections come in three varieties.

Text To Self A connection between your life and the text.  These connections are easy to make.  Make the text extremely personal.  Others have difficulty following your connection.

Text to Text A connection between another book, movie, song, (any piece of written material and the text.  Sound sophisticated.  Others who have read these texts easily understand the connection.  Begin the process of literary analysis.

Text To World A connection between the text and a world event.  Often powerful.  Can easily be understood by others.  Sometimes offers a weak connection for the reader.

Connection Blunders… One problem sometimes faced by students is that they will make a connection, but that connection doesn’t help them understand the text. Remember that the aim of the strategy is to further understanding not just make a connection.

Connections Practice Watch the film clip. Then, when you are finish, we will discuss various connections students have made to this clip in order to judge which are useful connections and which do little to aid understanding. At the end you will be asked to write your own connection to the clip.

Pick the Best Connection… Justin: “I remember when a stray dog came in to our yard one day…my little sister pretty much adopted him on the spot, but my parents wanted to find its owner. It nearly broke Crystal’s heart.” Sam: “Last summer I went down to the Air and Space Museum in DC. There was a exhibit there about Alien Life, it said we would probably never be able to communicate with it.” Chris: “I remember, I had crazy this crazy Uncle who would take about aliens and the government cover-ups when he got bombed. So I think this show will have to do this that. I understand it a lot better now. ” Bergan: “This is like when my parents fight. My dad is really knowledgeable, but somehow my mom always seems to be the one with the common sense.”

Places Connections Work Well… 1. Descriptions of situations 2. Characters