1. Making Connections What is a connection? A connection is when you can relate to a character or event in a given text. What kinds of connections are there? Text to Self Text to Text Text to World

2. What is a text to self connection? A text to self connection is when the reader discusses a part of their life, a part in the story, and how they are similar or different. Let’s look at this example: While I read Joe’s Friends I thought about a time in my life when my friends left me out and didn’t invite me to a party. It made me feel left out. I read about how Joe was upset in school for getting picked last in gym class. Our situations are similar because we both felt out of place and upset.

3. What is a text to text connection? A text to text connection is when a reader discusses how 2 texts are similar to one another, giving the example from each. Let’s look at this example. When I read A Bad Case of Stripes, I thought about how the main character didn’t want to be different for liking lima beans. When I read Thank you, Mr. Falker, I thought about how the main character was embarrassed for not knowing how to read. These two stories are similar because both main characters experience being different from their peers and disliking that.

4. What is a text to world connection? A text to world connection is when the reader relates what they’re reading with an event that happened in the real world, not just to them personally. Let’s check it out: When I read The Big Lie, I thought about how frightened the Jewish children were when they were being taken from their homes. In the news, on 9/11/01 terrorists attacked the World Trade Towers. The people in the towers were terrified of the people invading their safe environment. These people are similar because they all felt frightened in a place where they usually feel safe.

5. Let’s review.. The three types of connections are: Text to self Text to text Text to world How can these connections help us understand what we’re reading better? By helping us to relate to the character and situations in a text, not just read about them.