Make Connections between Information Viewed and Personal Experiences |Chalk Talk PH

Cris Tovani (2000) offers reasons why connecting to text helps readers:

§  It helps readers understand how characters feel and the motivation behind their actions.

§  It helps readers have a clearer picture in their head as they read, thus, making the reader more engaged.

§  It keeps the reader from becoming bored while reading.

§  It sets a purpose for reading and keeps the reader focused.

§  It forces readers to become actively involved.

§  It helps readers remember what they have read and ask questions about the text.

 

Text-To- Self Connection

Text-to-self connection is highly personal connections that a reader makes between a piece of reading material and the reader’s own experiences or life. An example of a text-to-self connection might be, "This story reminds me of a vacation we took to my grandfather’s farm." for a story about visiting grandparents in a farm.

 

How to Use the Strategy?

Commonly, after seeing a story or after reading it, you will be asked with some examples of questions that can be used text-to-self connections:

1. What does this remind me of in my life?

2. Why is this similar to my life?

3. How is this different from my life?

4. Has something like this ever happened to me?

5. How does this relate to my life?

6. What were my feelings when I see this?

And a key phrase that prompts text-to-self connection answers are:

a. This part reminds me of . . .

b. I felt like. . . (character) when I . . .

c. If that happened to me I would . . .

d. I can relate to . . . (part of text) because one time . . .

e. Something similar happened to me when . . .

Here are examples of good connections that enhance understanding:

Question: What does this story remind you of?

Possible answer: When I was in second grade, I moved to a new school like Shirley did.  I remember feeling like everyone ignored me and missing my home, so I can relate to what she’s going through.

 

Question: Can you relate to the characters in the story?

Possible answer: I know how (character) felt when (event) because I had a similar experience when (your own experience).

 

Question: Do you relate to a certain event in the story?

Possible answer: The part of the story where (event) reminds me of the time (your own experience).

 

Question: Does anything in this story remind you of anything in your own life?

Possible answer: I know how (character) felt because I once (your own experience).

 

Question: How did you use your senses to recall experiences?

Possible answer: I could taste the sticky peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich Sam was eating because that is my favorite sandwich.

                                   

Sources: Retrieved at https://sites.google.com/a/alaska.edu/diane-kardash/Home/making-connections

Retrieved at http://www.smoran.ednet.ns.ca/Reader'sworkshop/texttoself_connections.htm