Subjects
Grades
Reading Strategies—Making Connections
Concept sheet | English Language Arts
Secondary
1-5
Making connections is relating the text to your own experience, knowledge and ideas.
| When to do it |
| While reading the text |
| After reading the text |
| Reading intention |
| Find deeper meaning |
| Read between the lines |
| Outcome |
| Better understanding |
| Author's intention |
Generally speaking, 3 types of connections are made.
Making Connections Between the Text and Yourself
Find the links between the text and yourself by using your:
- personal experiences
- feelings
- opinions
- ideas
- beliefs
- knowledge
Asking yourself questions is a good way to find the links.
| Question examples | Works best with |
| Is the topic familiar to me? | • informational texts • opinion texts |
| What do I know about it? | |
| Have I ever been in a situation like this? | • narrative texts |
| How similar/different was it? | |
| How did it feel? | |
| How did I react? | |
| What would I have done differently/the same? | |
| What does this situation/character/event remind me of? | • informational texts • opinion texts • narrative texts |
| Why does it remind me of it? | |
| How interesting is it to me? | • informational texts • opinion texts • narrative texts |
| What makes it interesting/not interesting to me | |
| What is my opinion or stance on the topic? | • narrative texts |
| How similar/different is it from the author’s? | |
| How does it affect my reading goals? | |
| What makes my opinion the same/different? |
Making Connections Between the Text and Other Texts
Compare similarities and differences between the text and previously read texts.
Looking at general elements common to many texts can provide easy connections.
|
Examples of elements to look for |
Works best with |
|
topic |
• informational texts |
|
themes |
• narrative texts. |
|
purpose |
• informational texts |
|
• narrative texts |
|
|
setting |
• narrative texts |
|
events |
• narrative texts |
Making Connections Between the Text and the World
Find how the text relates to the real world.
Looking beyond a text’s concepts, ideas, events and topics in the grand scheme of things.
|
Real world topics |
Examples of specific real-world elements |
Works best with |
|
Current events |
• news |
most types of texts when adjusted to a given purpose |
|
Historical events |
• historical context |
|
|
Culture & society |
• norms & standards |
Reading Strategies At a Glance
To learn more about a strategy, click its name.
|
Get an overview of the text. |
Quickly search & find information |
Ask yourself questions |
|
Making Connections |
||
|
Create mental pictures |
Relate to the text |
Read between the lines |
|
Write down notes & comments |
Understand challenging words |
Sum up main idea & key elements |
|
Explore sources to come up with new perspectives |
Form an opinion on the quality of the text |
Look at the structure and techniques used |