Making Connections Reading Strategy Through Read Alouds

I love, love, love teaching reading comprehension skills through read alouds! If you hang around here often, I’m sure you have read that before. Our interactive read aloud time is a part of our day that I never push to the side. Not only do I always enjoy it, but this is when I teach my students how to think like readers. Making connections is one reading comprehension strategy that I model during this time. Let’s take a look at the making connections reading strategy.

What is the making connections reading strategy?

This reading strategy is simple-it’s about connecting to the text that is being read. This can be a text to self connection, a text to text connection, or a text to world connection. Teaching students that we can connect to what we are reading usually comes naturally. Kids often already do it, but we have to point it out and explicitly name what it is.

How to Teach Making Connections Reading Strategy

One of my favorite reading strategies to teach is about making text to self connections.  I first have to teach them what this is and name it. I begin by modeling this as I am reading aloud a book. I may say something like, “Oh neat! In this book the character is feeling sad on the first day of school. I am making a connection because I remember when I was little, I felt sad on my first day of school, too!”

In my class, I have always taught my kids to clasp their hands together to show me silently they are making a connection during a read aloud.  Sometimes I will wink to acknowledge them and other times I will call on them to share out their connection. Kids are SO eager to share their connections and this is a great thing, but if you call on everyone, you will take twice as long to get through your read aloud. Allowing kids time to turn and talk is a great way to let them all share and it not take up as much time.

Text to Self Connections with Alexander

One of my favorite read alouds for teaching the making connections reading strategy is Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. It’s funny, totally relatable, and we can easily talk about our emotions and feelings, too!

After reading the book and having lots of moments to share our thinking, stop and talk with a partner, or share out, I liked to add writing.

Making the craft was simple, too!

1. Trace 2 circles. One on manilla paper, one on a colored paper that looks like you.
2. Use crayons to draw their faces.
3. Draw a rainbow shape on orange construction paper, then cut out chunks to make crazy hair.
4. Use construction paper to make hair that matches your’s.
5. Glue the parts together on blue construction paper!

I shared more examples of this text to self connections activity here in this older blog post.

If you are looking for a writing activity to pair with teaching the making connections reading strategy, then this FREE download can be used with any book that you have picked out.

Here are some book suggestions if you are looking for more read alouds to use as you teach readers how to make connections.

Teaching the making connections reading strategy is only ONE of many reading strategies that our readers need as they work to become skilled readers. Using interactive read aloud time to connect with them, share your love of reading, and models what good reading looks like and sounds like is a wonderful time to grow their skills.