Making Text Connections: A Bundle of Activities and Lessons

This text connections bundle has everything you need to keep your students engaged as you teach them to make deep text connections as they read. Four types of connections are introduced: text-to-self, text-to-text, text-to-media, and text-to-world. These activities make text connections fun and easy! Students love the activities while teachers love the convenience of these no-prep resources that can be used year after year! These activities can be used for introduction or review. Use these materials to teach your student to differentiate between deep connections and surface connections.

What's included... To gain a better idea of everything included, please check out the individual PREVIEW for each resource:

50-slide PowerPoint

• Ideal for introducing the 4 types of text connections
• Explicit instruction about deep connections and shallow connections
• Students read example connections and classify each as a deep connection or a surface connection.
• Students read 5 passages and practice writing their own deep connection to each passage.
• You have my permission to convert this to Google Slides, if you wish.
• It comes with a matching 5-page companion handout (The companion handout includes both a printable version and a Google Slides version.)

Worksheets with Practice Passages

• Four full-page passages!
• After reading each passage, students explain two deep connections they made while reading: text-to-self, text-to-text, text-to-media, or text-to-world.
• A blank chart that can be used with any book is also included.
• Use some as an assessment, if you wish.
• You get to choose whether to use the printable version, the Google version, or the Easel Activity version.

Four Posters

Worksheets and Craftivity

• Students complete four worksheets. Each worksheet includes a short story, and space to write a text-to-self connection, a text-to-text connection, and a text-to-world connection.
• After completing the worksheets, students assemble connection quilts.

Partner Plays

• Focus on fluency while practicing the skill of making connections!
• After reading each script, students write about a connection they made while reading the script.
• You get to choose whether to use the print version or the Google version.

Here's what teachers like you have to say about this bundle:

• A Book for Every Lesson said, "My students LOVED this so much! We did one connection each day so it took us a week to get through the PowerPoint. My students would groan each time we had to stop!"

• Jessica S. said, "Trying to get my students to make connections to what they are reading has been a struggle. This bundle was extremely helpful and helped my students make their own connections."

• Ruchi G. said, "Excellent and well-organized resource. So easy to use and follow. My grade 3s had no issues reading the slides and making connections."

• Inez said, "Your materials are by far the best I have seen on TPT. These resources are amazing!! You hit at everything, whole group, partner/group work, independent activities, etc. Thank you so much for making my job 10 times easier by using your resources!"

Copyright by Deb Hanson

Please note: The PowerPoint cannot be edited due to the copyright requirements made by the contributing artists (clip art, font, background).

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