Being that the chapter is about activating and connecting background knowledge, the main purpose of the chapter was to provide strategies that can help readers think as they read, and connect the information to their prior knowledge. The authors give examples of how students can begin to make connections as they read. Throughout the chapter, the authors recommend using “text coding,” where students record their thoughts and reactions as they read on post-it notes which they place on the pages of the book. Some of the codes they use are R (reminds me of), T-T (text to text), T-S (text to self), or T-W (text to world).
It seems in this book that the authors REALLY LOVE post-its! I am thinking of trying this with my high reading group at school (I am feeling guilted into it…) but have any of you actually tried this before? Do you have some helpful hints that work?
While the author’s have mentioned these text codes before, we thought that one thing that was new and interesting was the idea of distracting connections. We all make connections as we read, but sometimes the connections we make lead our thoughts on tangents, instead of adding to our comprehension. We liked the idea of using a think aloud to model to our students what we do when this happens as we read.
In addition, not all connections that we make add to our reading comprehension. Students are likely to make connections like “The character is a boy and I’m a boy!“ or “The girl in the book has a grandfather, and so do I!“ While these connections (which the authors call “connections in common”) might add to the students’ personal interest and motivation, they are not likely to add valuable comprehension information. The authors had a great recommendation for helping students sort through their thoughts so that they can recognize the value of their connections:
Use a 3 column chart with three headings: My Connection, Important to Me, and Important to Understanding the Text. When students make connections they list them, and then decide how important they are to the text itself. In this way it still values their thinking, but forces them to evaluate their thinking.
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Lauren, I have used sticky notes with my first graders in my high reading group! We've only tried it recently, after I modeled making many T-S connections. We are still only using one sticky for each book (the books are pretty short at this level.) The best part is that we discuss our connections and try and see if they help us truly understand the story. I love the idea of charting their connections. We will definitely try it soon!
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