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Making Connections Text to Self
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Making Connections: Text to Self is very similar to Text to Text, except the reader is connecting their personal experiences to the text.
When you read aloud a text and a student can say they have done something or an activity from the text, they have made a self to text connection.
Today, I will be showing you how to teach text to self connections with an easy lesson plan. You can find the other two connections in blog posts I have written. It was just too much to put all three connections: text to text, text to self, and text to world in a post by themselves. There was so much information for each one. But you can find them here.
2. Text to Self Connections: This blog Post.
Also, I would love to hear your plans on how you teach this important Text to Self reading comprehension skill. Please leave comments in the comment section below to share your ideas!
Before you read further, you may want to read a blog post (Making Reading Comprehension Strategies with 7 Strategies) that shows all the strategies, then come back here for the break down of individual strategies. 💕
Making Connections: Text to Self
Lesson Plan
Materials: Anchor Chart, Read Aloud book of your choice, markers, white paper.
Prior to the lesson, have an anchor chart with the words Connections: Text to Self
Day One: Read a book that has a very common topic, such as a birthday party, playing outside, a tooth book, or birthday book. Discuss the plot, and characters. Make a list of the characters, plot, and the experiences. Consider making this ½ anchor chart sheet, but it is ok if you make two large anchor charts.
For example, read “The Mitten,” by Jan Brett. On the top of the anchor chart you might draw a blob of snow, a mitten, or a few animals. Talk through the plot as you draw just a few items. Don’t worry if you are not an artist, the kids love it when we draw even if it’s not the best. You could also have the kids draw these, or cut out a few pictures you have photo copied from the book and paste them to your anchor chart as you are reading.
Day two or immediately if you have time. Research shows teaching time needs to be less than 10 minutes for primary students, so it’s ok if you split lessons into multiple days. Ask students if they have ever done or seen anything something similar to what has happened in the book. Write these on the bottom half of the chart paper. You may be drawing the same items, but label them with kiddos names because they have seen this kind of animal, lost a mitten, or played in the snow, etc.
Say throughout these lessons: This is called a “text to self” connection. Everyone say text to self connection. This is when we can see a connection between the text and ourselves.
Making Connections: Text to Self
Extension One: At their seat or in station: give students a tub with books that are relatable, such as a playground, tooth, or birthday books, mitten, snow books, or whatever you just read. Let them make connections. Be dramatic and act like you didn’t do this on purpose. “Oh my goodness!!! You made a text to self connection! Where did you get that book? It was in the book tub?? Wow! I am so glad you found that!”
You don’t need many books, just enough to make those connections. Even if you have 2-3 books per child. For a small group of 6 students, consider at least 15-18 books for them to look through. Give them paper to draw the connections.
-To differentiate and for students that are beginning stages of learning this, gather books with the same topic in a group so that the students can help each other and they are all talking about the same topic.
-For more independent workers and those students that catch on a little faster, have all kinds of different books and they can make individual connections. One student may be drawing themselves getting their teeth cleaned similar to a book about teeth. Another student might be drawing a picture of a playground they played at that is similar to the book they are reading.
Extension two: Students can draw a picture of the front of a book and then a picture of them doing the similar thing to make the connection. Label the top Text to Self or T-S. If you need a resource with the printables already made for you, find the link below to purchase, but you can DIY this as well!
Extension three: Use two posty notes for students to make tiny pictures. They love to do this in my class. I also do this at my guided reading table.
This are generally the same activity, just with different mediums for novelty. They don’t know they are all learning the same thing. 🙂
Conclusion to the Lesson
Though it can be overwhelming, teaching reading comprehension is a do-able task. By understanding the “Text-to-Text, Text-to-Self, Text-to-World” approach, teachers can make sure that their students practice these skills and learn to apply it in real-world situations. With a little effort and the right tools, teachers can ensure their students are well-prepared for the future.
Help your students improve their reading comprehension skills by teaching them the connections: Text to Self. Share this post to help spread the word and start teaching this important skill.
Why Teach Text to Self Connections
Teaching text to self connections is a great way to help students make the most of their reading experiences. It is an easy to use strategy that helps foster self awareness, build confidence, and cultivate critical thinking skills. These skills are essential for students to be successful both in and out of the classroom. By encouraging your students to make text to self connections, you are giving them the tools they need to become informed and engaged citizens as they get older. It can help build their test scores as well.
So, why not teach text to self connections? It could help increase your students’ enjoyment of reading and potentially spur them on to a lifelong love of learning. Let’s learn together and leave the door open for further discussions. As philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said, “The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.”
When Teaching Text to Self Connections
When teaching text to self connections, it is essential to examine the contexts of the students and the texts they are interacting with. By emphasizing the value of shared experiences, teachers can create a more supportive environment for their students, encouraging them to make meaningful personal and social connections that can better support their learning. Through this process, teachers can help students become powerful readers, writers, and thinkers, giving them the tools to make connections and grow as individuals. We can all benefit from teaching text to self connections, so let’s continue to create supportive and meaningful learning experiences that encourage our students to make connections between themselves and the world around them.
Teaching text to self connections is an invaluable skill for any student. Not only does it help with comprehension and recall, but it also encourages deeper thought and reflection. It is an essential tool for students to express and understand their emotions and feelings, and gives them the opportunity to engage with the world around them. When these connections are made, students are better equipped to make sense of their reality, to build self-awareness, and to develop empathy. Making text to self connections is a powerful gateway to learning, understanding, and ultimately a more positive life. Let’s open the door for our students and provide them with the opportunity to make meaningful connections with the world around them.
Books that help teach Text to Self Connections
Self awareness books are great for teaching this concept. Books about feelings are very easy for students to be able to connect to immediately. Picture books provide readers with the tools to teach text to self connections. By exposing readers to different representations of their experiences and helping them to connect that representation to their own lives, books give readers the opportunity to see their stories in the stories of others. Additionally, engaging in text to self connections can help readers to develop empathy for themselves and others. We invite readers to explore the power of books in opening up their imaginations and hearts to the possibilities and realities of life. As Maya Angelou famously said, “books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.” When reading, the possibilities are endless!
Book Suggestions
The Angry Creature by Aleks Kashaev
More Ideas for Text to Self Connections
When you read a book consider ways you make classroom text to self connections. If you read a book about leaves in the fall and the boy in the story is connecting different leaves, consider going on a leaf hunt. This is similar to Text to World, but make sure you are using the Text to Self Connections. We are looking for leaves just like the boy in the book.
If you read a book, such as The Dot, by Peter H. Reynolds, you can do the same art activity as in the book. Have your students make a dot and then continue to draw to make the dot into something else. You have created a text to self connection. Don’t forget to constantly remind your students what you are trying to teach them. Sometimes I get so caught up in the activity, that I forget to say we are making text to self connection. That way they will remember the term.
If it is picture day, read the book, Picture Day Jitters by Julie Danneburg.
We are already reading books that pair with our school days, why not make it a point to teach the comprehension strategy that goes along with it?
More Information
This lesson plan can be done without any additional props other than the materials listed above. However, if you need extra support. I have a resource with this lesson plan and the additional lesson plans, Text to Self, and Text to World with worksheets all ready to go to save you time.
Click here for more information or to get! ➡️Text to Text, Text to Self, Text to World Reading Comprehension Strategies for your homeschool or classroom.
