| Text Connections | |
|---|---|
| Text to Text | Connection that reminds you of something in another book or story |
| Text to Self | Connection that reminds you of something in your life. |
| Text to World | Connection that reminds you of something happening in the world. |
Making connections is a very important skill to acquire and perfect. Henry and Mudge: The First Book is a great story for students to connect on many different levels. In this activity, students will be making text to text, text to self, and text to world connections. Students should choose which connection they want to make first and work to write a narrative for that. Once all three connections have been made, students can work on their illustrations.
TEXT TO TEXT
TEXT TO SELF
TEXT TO WORLD
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that shows connections you have made with Henry and Mudge. Include a connection for text to text, text to world, and text to self.
Encourage students to share their text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections aloud. When students discuss their connections, they deepen comprehension and learn from peers’ perspectives.
Model active listening and remind students to listen without interrupting. This ensures everyone feels valued and builds a positive classroom community.
Ask questions like “Can anyone relate to that connection?” or “Has anyone read a story with a similar event?” These prompts help students think critically and connect more deeply with the text.
Display a T-Chart or storyboard for students to reference. Visuals help students organize thoughts and participate more confidently in class discussions.
Acknowledge different types of connections and praise unique ideas. This boosts student confidence and encourages richer, more meaningful discussions.
Text-to-text connections relate a story to another book or text, text-to-self connections link the story to your own experiences, and text-to-world connections tie the story to real-world events or situations. These strategies help students deepen comprehension and relate personally to what they read.
Start by reading Henry and Mudge: The First Book together. Ask students to find examples that remind them of another book, their own lives, or something happening in the world. Guide them to write or draw their connections using a T-chart for clarity.
Have students use a T-chart to list scenes from Henry and Mudge on one side and their own connections (to another text, themselves, or the world) on the other. Let them illustrate each connection to make the lesson engaging and visual.
Making connections helps young readers better understand stories, retain information, and develop empathy. It encourages active reading and makes learning more meaningful by linking new ideas to what they already know.
Yes, Henry and Mudge stories are great for social-emotional learning. They explore friendship, empathy, loss, and reunion, giving students opportunities to reflect on their feelings and relate them to the characters' experiences.