Mini-Lesson

Make Connections

Mini-Lesson: Grades 4-6

Objective: Students will make text-to-self connections.

1. Start a discussion about making connections while reading. Explain that good readers find ways to connect what happens in a story with their own experiences. It is important for students to keep in mind that they don't need to have experienced exactly what they are reading about to make a text-to-self connection.

2. As an example, pass out the latest timeforkids.com news story, Drama on Ice. Point out that even though most students aren't competitive figure skaters, it's still possible for them to make connections with the story. Read aloud the first paragraph. Then model making a text-to-self connection. For example: Even though I'm not a competitive figure skater, I can still find a connection with Mirai Nigasu's experience. In seventh grade, I was one of the youngest people on my school's track team. When I won our very first race, I was happy but also shocked. It was hard to get used to the idea that I had won, and so I had to keep reminding myself. Thinking about that experience helps me understand why Mirai was speechless. As students read the rest of the article, challenge them to come up with at least two text-to-self connections.

3. Have students share their connections. Encourage them to distinguish between those that help them to understand a story better and those that do not. For example, it does not help to point out that their name starts with the letter M just like Mirai Nagasu's. The goal is to come up with more meaningful connections.