Making Connections
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When you are reading a new story, it is important to make a connection to what you
already know. By noticing and writing down the similarities and differences, the book or story
will be more interesting. There are three ways you can connect a new book to things you
already know.
Symbol
Name
Explanation
TS
Text-to-Self
How are the events or characters similar to your own
life or the people you know? How are they different?
TT
Text-to-Text
How are the characters, genre, author, pictures,
setting, or event similar to another book you’ve read?
How are they different?
TW
Text-to-World
How is the book similar to things you have learned or
already know? How are they different? Make sure you
say how you know the information.
Examples:
TS: In Sarah, Plain, and Tall, Anna, the main character, has a younger brother. I also have a
younger brother, Paul. Sarah is very kind like my mother.
TS: The setting of the story is in the Mid-west and I have never visited that area. The family
also lives on a farm and I live in a town.
TT: Ella Enchanted and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone are both fantasy stories. Also,
magic is a main part of the stories.
TT: The main character Ella, cannot do magic unlike Harry, who goes to the magical school of
Hogwarts.
TW: In school, I learned about the prairie and knew that tornadoes were very common in that
area like the one that occurred in Sarah, Plain, and Tall.
TW: I did not know all the chores and work it took to make a farm successful.
Directions: While you are reading, pay careful attention to what you are reading. If parts of
the story connect to your life, stories you’ve read before, or information you already know, write
it down in your Reading Log.
1. Write the type of connection it is (TT, TS, or TW)
2. Write the page number.
3. Explain the connection with as much detail as possible. It should be written in
complete sentences.
4. You need to have 2-3 text connections for each chapter.
© zowie176 at TpT
Making Connections
Title
Connection
Type
Page
Number
Connection
© zowie176 at TpT
Making Connections
© zowie176 at TpT