Making Connections

The comprehension CAFE strategy "Making Connections" encourages students to relate the text they're reading to their own experiences, other books, and the world around them. By making personal connections, students deepen their understanding and engagement with the text. This strategy helps them draw on prior knowledge, empathize with characters, and make predictions. Making connections enhances comprehension by bridging the gap between the text and the reader's own background, fostering a richer and more meaningful reading experience.

Goals for Making Connections:

• Goal 1: Personal Connections

  • Students will make personal connections to the text by relating events, characters, or themes to their own experiences, feelings, or thoughts.

• Goal 2: Text-to-Self Connections

  • Students will establish connections between the text and their own lives, drawing upon their knowledge, emotions, or beliefs to deepen their understanding of the story.

• Goal 3: Text-to-Text Connections 

  • Students will identify connections between the text they are reading and other books they have read, noticing similarities or differences in themes, characters, or events.

• Goal 4: Text-to-World Connections 

  • Students will make connections between the text and the world around them, considering how the story relates to real-life events, historical contexts, or contemporary issues.

• Goal 5: Predictions and Inferences 

  • Students will use their connections to the text to make predictions and inferences about what might happen next in the story, based on their understanding of similar situations or events.

Read Aloud Book List:

• "The Relatives Came" by Cynthia Rylant 

  • This book explores the connections between family and the joy of spending time together, allowing students to make personal connections to their own family experiences.

• "The Snowy Day" by Ezra Jack Keats 

  • This classic story follows a young boy's adventures in the snow, inviting students to make connections to their own experiences of playing in the snow and exploring their neighborhoods.

• "The Kissing Hand" by Audrey Penn 

  • This heartwarming story addresses separation anxiety and the comfort of a parent's love, allowing students to make personal connections to their own feelings of being away from loved ones.

• "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein 

  • This thought-provoking tale explores the concept of selflessness and friendship, prompting students to reflect on acts of kindness and the connections we form with others.

• "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" by Judith Viorst 

  • This relatable story follows Alexander's string of bad luck, encouraging students to make personal connections to their own challenging or frustrating days.

• "The Rainbow Fish" by Marcus Pfister 

  • This book explores the themes of sharing and friendship, allowing students to make connections to their own experiences of kindness, generosity, and building relationships.

• "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle 

  • This beloved story chronicles the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly, inviting students to make connections to the natural world and the life cycle of insects.

• "Chrysanthemum" by Kevin Henkes 

  • This book addresses themes of self-acceptance and the power of words, allowing students to make personal connections to their own experiences with names, identity, and bullying.

• "The Day the Crayons Quit" by Drew Daywalt 

  • This humorous tale explores the emotions of crayons and their unique personalities, prompting students to make connections to their own feelings and perspectives.

• "Last Stop on Market Street" by Matt de la Peña 

  • This story follows a boy and his grandmother on a bus ride through the city, highlighting themes of gratitude, empathy, and the connections between diverse communities.