Thick Vs. Thin Connections

We've been working on the reading strategy of Making Connections. Students know that they can make text-to-text connections, text-to-self connections, and text-to-world connections and we've practiced each as a group and independently. Our goal is to make thoughtful connections that really deepen our understanding, rather than surface-level connections that don't really help us understand the story better. We decided to differentiate these connections by using the words "thick" and "thin". After learning the difference between these connections I modeled making both kinds using a mentor text called "The Relatives Came". Then we decided which kind of connections mine were so the children could see the difference. The children anchored their learning into their Thoughtful Logs to help them remember the importance of making thick, thoughtful connections.



In Reading this week we began learning a strategy that good readers use to help increase their comprehension. Making Connections allows children to connect something in their book to an experience they have had (Text to Self), another book they've read (Text to Text) or something going on in the world (Text to World). We practiced together using mentor texts in our room and then the children practiced independently by placing a sticky note on their books, coding their connection, and explaining it.